Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl, Lonely World
by redunicorns01
Summary: The night he saw her green eyes out in the crowd was the night everything changed for him. She fell for him...hard. And he saw that she might be as lonely as he is. JEYTON.
1. Lonely World

_**[Own Nothing. All songs belong to Bryan Greenberg]**__**

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_**Chapter One: Lonely World**_

_And I keep waking in these dying dreams_

His life is one stage after another with his guitar in his hands, his every demand being followed, as he sings meaningless songs after another. To the fans, he's living THE life. But to him, there's something missing and he can't put his finger on what it is.

Jake stood in his dressing room, getting ready for his show, as he stares contently at himself in the mirror. He barely recognizes himself anymore. The bags under his eyes were becoming heavier and heavier with each passing night. His fingertips are itchy and stiff from his guitar strings. His hair is beginning to fall out from all the stress that's put on him.

And he's only twenty years old.

He loves his music - he does. It's always been his first love. It's gotten him through the toughest of times. And he hopes it would take him somewhere great in life. To him, it doesn't matter if he's famous or rich; all that mattered was that he was doing something he loves. Because you never had to work a day in your life if you're doing something you love.

But lately, things have been getting out of hand. His audience was getting bigger and bigger. His face was starting to show on magazines and women were throwing themselves at him. People wanted his autograph. He couldn't complain about it, but sometimes he missed being just a normal twenty year old guy. Just hanging out with his friends and eating junk food.

Problem was he didn't know who his real friends were anymore, so he mostly kept to himself. Strangely enough he wanted to go to college after high school. He wanted to live in a dorm and have a decent relationship with a girl. He still wants that.

Never once has he complained about the life he leads though. He got lucky finding it big right after high school. Sometimes he wonders where he would be if he didn't show up on that street corner with his guitar on that particular day. He wonders what job he would work or if he ever would have made amends with his father. Sometimes he wonders – but he'd never give it up.

Sure he could quit now at his peak. Give up everything for that 'normal' life. But he loves playing music. And he loves people loving him. But he misses people loving him for his music instead of his good looks.

It's never stopped him from using those wonderful genetics from getting the girls. People would call him an all around playboy, but those magazines exaggerate sometimes…most times. He did get the girls and then he felt like one afterwards for rushing it.

But did you blame him?

He wanted a girl that loves him for the words he sings instead of the way he combs his hair.

"Jake, five minutes." A random man says opening the door and quickly shutting it. Jake blinks real hard trying to get out of his imaginary world and walks over to the table full of food. Doritos, candy, Pepsi, everything to fit his needs. He grabs for a bottle of water and walks to the door, practically slamming it on the way out.

He walks throughout the backstage trying to maneuver around people and stops when he gets to the side of the stage. Some band that he's never heard of is opening for him and he has to admit, they're pretty good. Maybe in another year or two they can be exactly where he's at having some other random unknown band opening for them.

They finish their set and thank the crowd as they cheer happily as they wait for the arrival of Jake himself.

Another few minutes pass and Jake starts to get anxious for it's almost his turn to perform.

He wants to go ahead and just run out there but they have to keep the crowd waiting for some reason. He's never understood why they made him wait so long for him to perform. But finally it's his time and he begins to run out onto the stage as they begin to cheer and shout and have the time of their lives.

If there was any reason why he loves his job this would be it.

Jake runs over and grabs his guitar as he slings it around his shoulder and walks up to the microphone. "How you guys doing tonight?" He speaks into it causing the crowd to cheer once again.

Once they quiet down again Jake spoke. "Cool, cool. I'm Jake Jagielski, in case you didn't know..." The crowd erupts again, putting a smile on Jake's face seeing them so happy to just hear his name. "Well it's great to be here in Chicago, so tonight I want to start off with one of my favorite songs and I hope you enjoy."

He looks down to his guitar and strums a few strings before really playing. "This one's called Lonely World."

_Such a lonely boy  
Couldn't find the joy within  
Such a lonely girl  
Such a lonely world we're living in  
I watch it all go by  
Can't find a tear to cry, a tear to cry, a tear to cry_

_It's so obvious how they need each other  
Wanting, bleeding, hurting, but they keep it covered  
Till it's one big lie  
Can't say hello cause they fear goodbyes  
Well they fear goodbyes, they fear goodbyes_

_He don't say much when there ain't much to say  
She waits for his response she waits all day  
The world keeps spinning in a silent scream  
And I keep waking in these dying dreams_

The crowd's quiet, really listening to the lyrics.

He doesn't know why he always starts his shows with this song. Some people call it depressing while some call it inspirational. It's just a song about himself really. He doesn't tell people that and never really plans too. But it's special.

To him anyway.

_I asked her for the time she said my timing was off  
But I got this pain inside she said it's all you got  
I got this feeling that life is passing me by  
I'm a couple years late but I'm here tonight, I'm here tonight, well I'm here tonight_

_He don't say much when there ain't much to say  
She waits for his response she waits all day  
The world keeps spinning in a silent scream  
And I keep waking in these dying dreams_

_Such a lonely boy  
Such a lonely girl  
It's such a lonely world_

The crowd erupts in cheers as the song ends and again Jake smiles and looks over to his band mates as they smile along with him.

Being on this stage Jake feels like he's on top of the world and it's the best feeling ever.

God, he loves his job.

A few songs later and the concert is over. Everyone in the crowd groans when Jake says his final goodbye's and walks off stage. He goes back into his dressing room and collapse onto the couch. Feeling exhausted, Jake's almost asleep when his manager barges into the room talking on two cell phones at once.

Jake doesn't pay any attention to him and tries to block out his annoying voice as he tries to slip back into an unknown world.

"Jake, baby!" His manager, Dave, says to him widening his arms for a hug. Jake stands to embrace the man but taken back when Dave slams him into his chest, causing Jake to lose his breath for a few seconds. They brake apart and Jake sinks back into the couch as he listens to his manager go on and on over something that didn't seem so important.

"Dave!" Jake interrupts. "Honestly dude, I love you, but I don't care. Can I just get on the bus and get out of here."

"Lead the way, man." He says walking over to the door and opening it for him.

"Thank you."

They make their ways around backstage, weaving in and out of people until they're out in the parking lot. Suddenly a tidal wave of fans hit them and Jake graciously stops and sign autographs and take a few pictures with them.

Any rock star will tell you that it's the fans that make this job worth wild. And it's true. Jake wouldn't be where he is today if it wasn't for his fans.

Today and any other day, Jake is always happy to stop and give his John Hancock on something.

It's those crazy, wild, obsessed fans that push his buttons sometimes.

They reach the tour bus, after Jake signs a few autographs for his lovely fans, and Jake goes straight for the fridge for something to eat. He was always starving after a show and usually celebrated every one of them with a few corndogs, homemade brownies, macaroni and cheese, and a Gatorade to top it all off. It was his tradition and tonight wasn't any different.

The other band mates get on the bus and crash onto the couch and various other few places you can go to on a tour bus. The engine starts and the bus begins its way to its next destination as everyone kicks back and relaxes before the next show. Jake sat somewhere up front, flipping through an old magazine, as he tried to think of what the next performance would be like.

It pops into his head that he has no idea where they're going.

Removing himself from the seat, he walks to the back of the bus and starts shaking his sleeping manager. "Dave, Dave, Davey...." He sings using his nickname for him, which Dave hates.

He mumbles something that Jake doesn't catch and begins to shake him harder. After a few seconds, Dave shoots up in his bed and hits head on the low ceiling. His hand becomes attached to his head as he gives Jake a sour look. "What?" He spats at him.

"Hey man, I was just wondering what town we're going to be in next." Jake asks like nothing's the matter.

"You woke me up for that?" He groans falling back onto his pillow.

"Yeah. Now do you mind telling me?"

He lets out a huge sigh and closes his eyes tightly trying to go back to sleep. "Some little hick town in North Carolina called Tree Hill."

He doesn't know why, but when he hears that name his heart flutters and his stomach drops.

Things are about to get interesting.


	2. Busy Bee

**_[Own Nothing]_**

I've seem to have taken a little break. And I'm sorry. I wish I had a good excuse like my dog died (which isn't that great of an excuse) and it's been really hard on me or that I found out I have a long lost sister that's exactly like me except for the fact that she's crazy. But I can't, because none of that happened. The reason is because I started this story out of writer's block and once I started writing for my other stories I quit this one. But I'm back now and hopefully be able to update at least weekly. Maybe.

I've written up to four chapters (okay three and a half), but other than that all I have is chapter layouts and that's about it. But hopefully with some wonderful reviews I can find something to write. So anyways, inspiration came from when I went to see Bryan Greenberg in concert and all chapter titles will be his songs (old album and new).

And one last thing, I wrote more for the first chapter so it would probably be best to go back and read again (and I've been away for awhile so it would be a good idea).

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**Chapter Two: Busy Bee**

_"You're so busy I hope you make some sweet, sweet honey, honey."_

The final bell of the day rang as Peyton emerged from her classroom. She was literally about to pass out because of the exhaustion that had taken over her body. Constant phone calls being made through out the night had been the main problem for her lack of sleep. She was preparing for Jake Jagielski.

He was coming to play at TRIC tonight. It was the main event for the whole town. Not a lot of rock stars are strolling through this place lately. He was coming for the benefit CD Peyton was putting out. She and Ellie had been planning it for months. It was their way of bonding. They were supposed to witness this together, but Ellie had different plans.

She was tired. Too many hours of no sleep, too many coffees wearing off, the constant memory of her late mother floating in her mind. It all kept her awake at night. That and the guy who couldn't get a clue running up behind her had been on her mind all night.

"Peyton!" She continued on her way, hoping the guy would take the hint that she obviously didn't want to talk at all, especially to him. "Peyton! Please!" He swerved in front of her, slamming his arm against a locker, blocking her escape. "Can we talk please?" It would have sounded like a desperate plead if it wasn't for that broody expression he held and the look in his eyes.

"What do you want, Lucas?" She murmured not making eye contact with him.

"I think we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Lucas. You broke up with me. End of story." She said finally looking up at him with an annoyed glare. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get home and get ready for tonight." She said trying to maneuver around him, but he wrapped his strong arm around her skinny one and pulled her back.

"Look, I'm sorry about that night, okay?"

_It was a starry night as Lucas and Peyton walked along the riverwalk hand and hand. A smile plastered on her face while her boyfriend held his usual broody expression._

"_What do think we should get Haley and Nathan for their wedding gift?" Peyton asked about their newly married friends. Peyton glanced up at him as he stared ahead, lost in thought. "Lucas?" She said squeezing his hand tighter to get his attention._

"_Huh?" He responded not fully interested._

"_Haley and Nathan's wedding gift? What should we get them?" Peyton asked again._

"_Oh…uh, why do we have to get them something? I mean there's already been a wedding, that we weren't invited to might I add." He threw an amused look to Peyton and she smiled. "So what's the point?"_

"_Because, Luke, it's the right thing to do. Haley's your best friend and Nathan's your brother, so we got to get them something." She explained noticing him slump him his shoulders. He'd been distant all night and she chose to ignore it until now. "What's going on with you tonight? You seem different."_

"_Different? I'm not being different." He defended._

_She chuckled. "We've been together for like a year. I know everyone of your little mood swings. I think I would know if you were being different." She said trying to make a joke of all the different emotions he goes through in less than a minute._

_Lucas stopped in his tracks and turned towards his girlfriend. His arms rested on her shoulders and their eyes locked as he tried to find his place to start. She saw his serious expression and realized he wasn't joking._

"_Okay." He sighed. "Peyton, we've known each other for a long time, right?" He stated but knew Peyton would take it as a question. She nodded and he continued. "And I've loved you since I first saw those legs of your's on the first day of fourth grade." He smiled remembering that day and she chuckled. "But I think I've always loved you in the sisterly way. Not true love."_

_There was a pause as she let those words sink in. "Luke, what are you saying?" Peyton asked in disbelief as uncontrollable tears came to her eyes._

"_Peyton, you're one of my best friends, but I don't think it can be anymore than that."_

"_So you're breaking up with me?" Peyton asked with more anger than she intended as the tears flowed down her cheeks._

"_Yeah." He practically whispered trying to calm her. "I'm sorry, Peyton."_

"That's not how I wanted to end things, Peyton."

"Yeah, well that's how they ended." Peyton said more annoyed now that she remembered that night. After his weak apology, Peyton ran home and pretty much cried herself to sleep that night, and every other night after that. She had called Ellie, not knowing anyone else to call, and she told her everything. Ellie, trying to be a helping hand, told her that there are other fish in the sea. After that, Peyton changed the subject and went on talking about the CD. If only she knew that would have been the last they would ever talk.

That just made everything worse.

She tried and tried to move past it, but Lucas was her life. He made her happy and could cheer her up when any of life's problems were thrown at her. And without that it was a lot harder to make it through the day. Especially now that Ellie was gone.

"Is it someone else?" She randomly asked. "Is that why you broke things off with me?"

"No." He shook his head lightly. "No, of course not. Peyton, I told you why I broke things off. We just weren't meant to be together. I mean, you had to have noticed it, right?"

"No, Lucas I didn't notice it. I thought we were perfect for each other. But silly me. People always leave, right?"

"Peyton." He groaned and looked away. He hated it when she said that. "I haven't left, Peyton. I'm always going to be here. We can still be…"

"Don't say it." She interrupted not at all wanting to hear him say it.

"Friends. We can still be friends, can't we?"

She sighed, very much annoyed by the boy in front of her, but still very much in love with him. And even if he didn't feel the same for her, maybe he could see how they're meant to be together during this time apart. And besides, it's better to have Lucas in her life than not have him it at all.

"Yeah." She whispered, nodding her head while overcoming the lump in her throat. "Yeah, we can."

"Cool." He nodded a smile reaching up to his ears. "So I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah." Peyton whispered not really looking forward to tonight.

**

"Love you too, Dad. Bye." Peyton said exiting out of her webcam. Her father was once again off to sea doing his job. So once again, she was left to deal with her own problems in her own special way – drawing.

These were the times she wished her mom was still alive, both of them. To help her with school projects and with boys and especially breakups. But most importantly, to have a shoulder to cry on. But instead she confessed her true feelings in her artwork. Granted, most of the times it was dark and depressing; but can you blame her? Her mom was dead, her father was out at sea, after seventeen years of thinking one way she finds out she's adopted and rethinks everything about her life, then her biological mother comes back with an expiration date, and to top it all of her boyfriend dumps her.

But she did have her best friend through it all. Brooke Davis was there for everyone one of those moments through out her life. Brooke caught her when Peyton fell, she had the shoulder Peyton needed to cry on; and never, not once, did Brooke leave Peyton's side when she was in trouble. They were Hoes over Bros for life. That's how it's always been and that's how it always would be.

Even though she had Brooke, it still didn't keep her from wishing it was her mom's arms wrapped securely around her.

"Hello, girl and friend." Brooke's cheery voice sprung through the room as she plopped down on her friend's bed. "Whatcha doing?" She asked innocently.

Peyton peered up from her recent drawing and eyed her friend closely. Not a lot of people understood their relationship. Brooke was always so happy. She could light up a room with her dimpled smile and she never carried around the weight of the world on her shoulders.

While Peyton was so broody and hid herself off from the world, all while exposing herself on her webcam. Like she told Lucas once: She was just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch.

"Oh, not much. Just talking to my dad." Peyton replied with a fake smile.

"You miss him, don't you?" Brooke asked after a beat with sensitivity catching on to Peyton's act.

"Of course I miss him. He's my dad, you know."

"No, I didn't mean your dad. I meant Lucas." Brooke watched as Peyton went speechless and didn't bother to wait for her to make up a lie. "It's okay to miss him, Peyt."

"It all just ended so suddenly, you know. Out of nowhere he decided that we weren't right for each other. He didn't bother to ask for my opinion. He just called it quits." Peyton mumbled with tears threatening her eyes. "And then after that it felt like everything else fell apart." She said speaking of Ellie.

"Guys are such jerks." Brooke stated with a disgusted expression. "You're going to be okay, P. Sawyer. I know it." Brooke stood and went to wrapped her in a hug.

"I hope so, Brooke."

Brooke released her grip around Peyton's waist and smiled down into her green eyes. Quickly going from sensitive moment back to cheerful atmosphere, Brooke forced Peyton out of her seat and over to her closet. "Now what are you going to wear tonight?"

"You know, Brooke, I'm not sure if I want to go now."

Brooke froze just as she reached out for a pair of jeans and turned to the fake blonde. "Peyton, you have to go tonight. You got Jake Jagielski to play TRIC. Don't you know how big that is? You planned this whole thing for Ellie, remember? You have to show up."

"Yeah, I know, but Lucas will be there and…"

"OK, you Peyton Sawyer, are going to miss a concert because of a boy!?!" She said in disbelief. "What has hell frozen over too?"

"Brooke…" Peyton groaned."

"You're going tonight." She said turning back to the closet. "Even if I have to beat you and drag you there myself. You are so going."

"No, I'm not." Peyton fought.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not." She said more slowly, knowing deep down that Brooke wasn't going to give up. But Peyton's not going to back down either, because as much as she was excited about this concert, she's even more hurt knowing that Lucas will be here. "I'm not going."

**

She put her black Comet in park and slammed the door on her way out. Brooke followed behind the angry Peyton into the club. Neither one had spoken a word since Brooke dragged her out of the house. To say Peyton was mad would be an understatement.

"Look, Peyton I know you're mad…" Brooke tried to explain.

"Brooke, I don't want to be here. I just want to go home." Peyton stopped to face her friend.

"Well, you can't go home." Brooke explained in typical Brooke fashion.

"Why's that?"

"Because you drove me here. And I'm probably gonna get really drunk tonight and I'm going to need you to drive me home." She explained earning a rolling of the eyes from Peyton. "Look, please just stay." Brooke begged grabbing her hand. "For Ellie."

Peyton sighed, hating Brooke for making her feel guilty for not wanting to be here. "Okay." She whispered. She might not want to stay, but she would for Ellie. "But I'm not going to have fun."

"You can be the bitter shrew in the corner for all I care. I just don't want you to miss out on this."

Peyton nodded before walking away towards the bar, leaving Brooke with her pick of the guys. She took a seat at the bar as she watched Karen serve her classmates soft drinks. Karen smiled over at her, knowing exactly what went down between her and Lucas. If it hadn't been Lucas who had dumped her then Peyton would have probably came to Karen for advice and comforting, but it felt weird now going to your ex-boyfriend's mother for comforting. So she kept her distance, but smiled back when Karen looked over to her.

She swerved in her stool and looked out to the dancing crowd. She saw Brooke talking it up with a bunch of guys. Not unusual there. Nathan and Haley were in the corner sharing a drink as he laughed at something Haley had said. Peyton wanted to go over there and say hi, but she couldn't bring herself to. Because then Haley would sense something and with her being Lucas' best friend, it would just make everything else even stranger.

"Hi." A familiar voice came to her ears.

Peyton turned to the side and saw Lucas standing there in that red button down shirt she used to love so much. She wondered if he knew how much she loved that shirt of his. Probably not.

"Hey." She said quiet enough that it couldn't be heard over the loud music.

"You having fun?" He asked taking a seat next to her.

"Lots." She said with sarcasm, which he caught.

He could see she was miserable and that it was mostly his fault. But he really was trying to be her friend and he wanted her to open up to him like she used. But he knew she wouldn't. Not for awhile. Not until she got used to this whole being just friends thing. He really did love Peyton, he'd always had, but it wasn't _that_ kind of love. Even if she begged to differ.

"You'll cheer up once Jake comes on." He assured knowing how one song can change her mood.

She sighed, hating how he knows her so well. Except for tonight, she really believed that some song with inspiring lyrics couldn't cheer her up or make her come to some revelation. She believed that.

"Why are you doing this, Lucas?" She asked looking over to him with a not so pleased look.

"I'm your friend, Peyton."

"But I don't want you to be my friend." She told him before he could explain any further. "That didn't work when you were going out with Brooke and it's not going to work out now. So just stop. Stop trying to be my friend, because I don't want you to be." She practically screamed at him, telling him the pent up emotions she had over the last few weeks. "I'm here only for Ellie. Everything else like you and Jake Jagielski doesn't matter. So just stop." She finished, grabbing her purse and walking away, leaving a hurt Lucas alone.

The stage lights brighten and DJ's music stopped and everyone knew what time it was. The crowd cheered as the brown eyed, brown haired musician walked on stage and grabbed his precious guitar.

He stepped up to the microphone and smiled out to the crowd. "How you doing Tree Hill?"

As always the crowd cheered and screamed and Jake, like always smiled. "I'm Jake Jagielski and I'm here to make sure your breast stay safe."

He looked down to his guitar and started strumming the beginning bars to his song.

Peyton didn't bother to stop and watch. She went straight for backstage, knowing Lucas wouldn't come and look for her.

She sunk into the couch, letting out a sigh, and finally let herself listen to the song that was being played.

'_Such a lonely girl/Such a lonely world we're living in.'_

It was officially. Peyton Sawyer was not in a good mood.


	3. Small Town

**_[Own Nothing]_**

I'm sitting in the middle of my photography class and decided to update. Screw pictures - I want to write. I'll update on Monday I promise. But for now I'm going to enjoy this Frday and the weekend.

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**Chapter Three: Small Town**

_I heard you moved to Hollywood to become a big star/As for me I'm still hanging round watching the world go round/And this small town don't change time moves real slow_

He walked into the empty club two hours before he actually had to perform. It wasn't really his thing to perform small clubs like this in a little town no one had ever heard of. But it comforted him somehow. The turn out was supposedly to be good which both excited and worried Jake a bit. And plus it was for a good cause.

You'd think after almost two years of performing he would be used to big crowds. Wrong. He still got stage fright almost every time he stepped on stage. But once he heard that crowd all cheering for him and no one else it gave him a sense of pride.

A small figured woman came into his line of vision, bringing him out of his daydream; he shook hands with the woman called Karen. She was sweet, very motherly.

"Your dressing room is just back there and the show won't start for another hour or two. So if you're hungry or anything, don't be afraid to ask." Karen sweetly said with a smile plastered on her face.

Jake managed out a _thank you_ before being dragged back to his room by his manager and other workers to prepare for the show.

**

The crowd got larger and larger within the hour. The voices of the fans filled his ears no matter how hard he tried to block them out. It was always around this time when he got nervous – tonight was no different.

He paced the room back and forth, waiting for some stranger to call his name.

Tonight this wasn't just a concert. It's raising money for something special, something that's going to change someone's life. And maybe that sounds a little over the top. But it's true. He lost his grandmother to breast cancer – so this actually meant something to him.

"Jake, we're ready for you." Someone that works for him said before closing the door again. He lets out a breath, like he always does, and repeats some words in his head like he always does before a show.

He walks out of the dressing room and like always maneuvers himself around different people backstage, but stops when he hears his name.

"Jake!"

He turns and smiles when he sees his friend Pete. Yes, that Pete. You know the one from Fall Out Boy. They met about a year ago on a talk show. He was promoting his new CD and Pete just so happened to be performing. After they kept in touch, but with being rockstars it gets kind of hard sometimes.

"Hey, man!" Jake shakes his hand. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

Pete nodded. "Yeah, we've played here before. Besides, I'm pretty good friends with the girl that set this whole thing up."

"Well, it's good to see man. It's been awhile."

"Yeah, it has." He agrees. Jake's name is called again for him to hurry up. Pete sees that and decides to end the conversation. "Look, I'll talk to you later. Good luck out there."

"Thanks." Jake turns back to his usual direction and waits for his turn to go out there.

**

The stage lights brighten and DJ's music stopped and everyone knows what time it was. The crowd cheered as the brown eyed, brown haired musician walks on stage and grabs his precious guitar.

He stepped to the microphone and smiled out to the crowd. "How you doing Tree Hill?"

As always the crowd cheered and screamed and Jake, like always smiled. "I'm Jake Jagielski and I'm here to make sure your breast stay safe." He joked earning a few laughs from crowd members.

He looked down to his guitar and started strumming the beginning bars to his song.

_Such a lonely boy  
Couldn't find the joy within  
Such a lonely girl  
Such a lonely world we're living in  
I watch it all go by  
Can't find a tear to cry, a tear to cry, a tear to cry_

She sat up in her seat and peered to the stage where Jake Jagielski himself was playing. The lyrics hit her hard. And like a desired smell, those lyrics reeled her back to the crowd where she stood with everyone else as she listened to these lyrics this man sung.

_It's so obvious how they need each other  
Wanting, bleeding, hurting, but they keep it covered  
Till its one big lie  
Can't say hello cause they fear goodbyes  
Well they fear goodbyes, they fear goodbyes_

_He don't say much when there ain't much to say  
She waits for his response she waits all day  
The world keeps spinning in a silent scream  
And I keep waking in these dying dreams_

Peyton stood in the crowd like every other person there. Ignoring Lucas completely and not paying any attention to Brooke flirting to some guy.

All she could do was stare at _the_ Jake Jagielski and listen to this song. This song that felt like was to her and her only. And right now she's letting herself believe that.

_I asked her for the time she said my timing was off  
But I got this pain inside she said it's all you got  
I got this feeling that life is passing me by  
I'm a couple years late but I'm here tonight, I'm here tonight, well I'm here tonight_

He looked up from his fingers and into the crowd. His eyes scanned over them and he didn't bother to meet eyes with any of them. But then they stopped when he landed on a curly blonde.

His eyes widen and for a split second he forgot where he was, who he was, and what he was doing. The only thing on his mind being those sparkling green eyes. And he couldn't take his own eyes off them.

It was when he saw that smile form on her beautiful lips that he knew he needed to know this girl.

_He don't say much when there ain't much to say  
She waits for his response she waits all day  
The world keeps spinning in a silent scream  
And I keep waking in these dying dreams_

_Such a lonely boy  
Such a lonely girl  
It's such a lonely world_

He finished his first song, still not tearing away from the green eyed girl. All he wanted to do was jump off the stage and run over to her and embrace her in any way possible.

But he couldn't.

One, because he hadn't finished his set. And two, because he didn't know her and you can't just embrace strangers. That's how you get your ass beat.

So he continued with his songs as he kept his eyes fixated on the girl's. It wasn't until he saw a blonde haired guy walk up beside her and started talking to her did Jake skip a beat and this time before really forgetting his own song.

His band mates snapped him out of it quickly, before Jake went back to his song.

He saw how hurt this guy made this girl and for some reason it hurt him to see her hurt. Then she did the one thing Jake hoped she wouldn't.

She walked away. She looked angry leaving the blonde haired man standing alone.

And it took everything in Jake to not run after her.

**

She just wanted to scream her lungs out. But then that would be making a scene and she really didn't want anymore attention.

Everything was going fine. The song was perfect and just for a second she was indulging herself in it. For a short while she forgot about everything.

And then Lucas showed up. Wanting to talk about the things that she didn't to talk about. The things that didn't need to be said or brought up anymore.

So she left. She walked away from that perfect song and that feeling she got when listening to it. Now all she felt was the pain in her heart that came when she was reminded of Lucas. And if she wasn't in a bad mood before she was an even worse one now.

"Peyton!" Haley called out for her as she walked backstage, flashing her badge to the bouncer.

Peyton opened her tightly shut eyes, wishing she could be left alone for one minute.

"Peyton!' Haley yelled once more before finally seeing her sitting on the couch. "Hey, are you okay? I saw the Lucas thing." She said taking a seat on the couch next to her friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Peyton lied, knowing Haley wouldn't believe it.

"Are you sure, because what I saw didn't look fine." Peyton nodded again. "Peyton, you know you can talk to me…about anything."

"No, Haley, I can't." She admitted. "I just can't."

"Peyton…"

"I really don't want to talk about Lucas." She interrupted. "I just want to get through the rest of the night and go home."

"Okay." Haley said quietly to her, rubbing her hand up and down her back for comforting. "So was it me or was Jake Jagielski giving you the eye out there?" Haley cheerily said, changing the subject.

"The eye?" Peyton slightly chuckled.

"You know. The _eye_." She said as if the most obvious thing in the world. "He was totally flirting."

"He was totally singing a song."

"So you didn't notice?"

"No. I was listening to the lyrics, not eyeing the singer."

"Typical Peyton." Haley sighed. The two chuckled as they sat and listened to Jake's set finish up. Haley looked over to Peyton and watched as Peyton watched him leave the stage and back to his dressing room. "So I was wondering…" Haley trailed thinking Peyton would know.

She rolled her eyes and laughed at her friend. "Yes, you can meet him."

"Great!" She squealed, clearly a trait she got from Brooke. "I'll go get Nathan."

Peyton watched as Haley ran off in search of her husband and she couldn't help but smile. It didn't take away her bad mood, but it made it hurt a little less.

A simple smile wasn't going to fix it. It hurt a lot – that's going to take a lot of smiles.

**

Jake walked off the stage listening to the applause that was for him. He heard Karen announce to the crowd that Fall Out Boy was up next and then they all clapped again.

He went back into his dressing room, the blonde still on his mind. He needed to know who she was.

His mind was on her and her only. So when he stepped into his room, he couldn't stop pacing the room frantically trying to wrap his mind around those green eyes. When Dave walked through the door, quickly Jake ran over to him explaining his situation.

"Jake, calm down man. I've never seen you so fed up over a girl."

"This isn't just a girl, Dave. She had these eyes." He said mesmerized by them.

"Let me guess, they were a certain color." He joked, not to the pleasure of Jake.

"Can you just find me the green eyed girl with curly blonde hair?" He asked sourly.

"Yeah sure." And with that, Dave turned back to the door in search of this mystery girl.

**

She felt the couch shift as someone new sat down beside her and she only hoped that it wasn't Lucas. It wasn't. It was Pete.

Peyton quickly squealed and hugged her somewhat friend. It was still hard to believe she was friends with Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy.

"It's so good to see you." She said breaking away form him.

"You too." He smiled.

"Thank you again for being here. It means a lot."

"No problem, but thanks. It's a great cause and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. So I'll be right back. I got to go save the world." He stood to leave for the stage and smiled back when he heard her laugh.

His bandmate, Patrick Stump, walked up behind her with a look of disbelief. "Did he just roll out 'I got to go save the world'?" He asked pointing over to Pete.

"Yeah."

"That's my line." He walked off, leaving a smiling Peyton.

"There's a smile." That familiar voice came back and that smile on Peyton faded.

"God, Lucas, you just don't get it." She walked off as Lucas followed.

"Peyton, I just want to understand why."

"Why what?"

"Why you're being like this."

She stopped and turned to him for the first time. She scoffed, wondering how stupid this guy could be. "You broke my heart! That's why I'm being like this! Now will you leave me alone? You broke up with me. You're free, Lucas – go do your own thing." She stormed off meeting Haley and Nathan on the other side of the room.

She wondered why he didn't get. Why was he trying so hard to be her friend? Why did he care so much? Everything seemed so much simpler when they were together. Everything made sense and now nothing seemed to be in place anymore.

And it just made her angry. At Lucas for being an asshole. At Brooke for dragging her here. At Ellie for leaving her like she did. And at everyone that got in her way for the rest of the night.

She stomped her feet, with an excited Haley and mellow Nathan behind, over to the dressing room. She walked in not caring if she knocked or not. She just wanted to get this over with so she could go home.

Jake sat on the couch, pondering at some old magazine left on the table, when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw her and thanked God for Dave. He stood up, shocked written all over his face. He didn't even notice the other two people in the room.

"It's you."

Peyton looked at him like he was crazy, not having a clue what he was talking about, but ignored it and looked over to Nathan and Haley. "I'm Peyton. The person that put this whole thing together. Thanks for coming by the way." She said not so enthused.

"No problem." Jake said shaking his head to tear away from those eyes. "It's a great cause."

"Yeah, well, any way these are my friends, Nathan and Haley. They're real big fans." She said ready to get out of here.

Haley stepped up first grabbing his attention. She stuck out her hand, which Jake gratefully took. "I love your songs. They're amazing."

"Thank you." He smiled to her. "That means a lot." Nathan stood back and watched as his wife got into a conversation with him about music. He could see how Jake always kept coming back to Peyton, who stood in the doorway, angry as ever. Neither Haley nor Peyton cold see it, but Nathan could.

Finally Peyton couldn't stand it anymore. Hearing Haley so happy and joyful made Peyton's stomach churn. She loved her friend – she did, but she just wanted to be alone. She wanted to get through this alone. Brooke didn't understand that, or Lucas, or Haley, or anyone. She wanted to be home, in her safe place, drawing her depressing art and listening to her depressing music.

Right now, she didn't care how drunk Brooke got or how she got home. That probably made her sound like a bad friend, but right now she didn't care. Haley would probably take her home.

So she left.

He looked back at Haley for a split second, just to show that he was listening when he really wasn't, but when he looked back up she wasn't there. He saw that head of curls walking away from him. And then Haley's voice was a blur and he didn't care what she had to say anymore.

He looked back down to her, giving an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, excuse me." He managed before he bolted out the door.

"Wait! Peyton!" He called out for her, but she didn't hear because of the band. He quickly caught up with her and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned with a confused look at who had stopped her now. "Yeah?" She huffed, not caring if it was a rockstar talking to her.

"I just…I, I…" He stuttered. Peyton kinked her brow at him and he wondered why it was this girl he was having trouble talking to. He'd been with plenty of girls and never had he had trouble with them. Not like this. "I,I...I was wondering if I could call you sometime."

Her eyes widen, shocked at what he asked. Jake Jagielski wanted to call her. That definitely wasn't normal. But still she didn't care none the less. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, even if it was Jake.

"No." Peyton shook her head with the simple answer.

"No?" He repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah. No." She turned back for the exit.

Jake stood frozen for a second as he watched her walk away. "Hey, wait!" She stopped again, this time not bothering to turn around, as she became more and more annoyed of this guy and every other one. "Could we maybe go out sometime then?"

"No." She started her way again and in the back of her mind she knew he wasn't going to give up.

"What can I say in order for you to say yes?"

Finally she turned back to him. She sighed, placing her hands on her hips and staring over at him.

"Tell me why guys are such jerks and I'll get back to you." Before he could even think of an answer, he was watching her leave yet again. There he stood frozen, hoping this girl would walk back through the door, while one question ran through his mind.

Why were guys such jerks?

**

It had been a few days since the benefit concert. Peyton sat at TRIC going through all the stupid things that had been left in the lost and found. Her encounter with Jake still in her mind. Strangely enough, she wasn't fazed by it. Meeting a rockstar. It didn't bother her one bit.

What did was the fact that he asked her out. And looking back on it now, she was probably a bitch to him and he didn't deserve it.

But she still wouldn't go out with him. It was too soon to date. She had just broken up with her boyfriend. Okay, it's been a few weeks, but it felt like just yesterday to Peyton. And she wasn't ready.

"I have a delivery for," She was brought out of trance as a delivery man looked down at the name on his clipboard, "Peyton Sawyer?"

"I'm Peyton Sawyer." She said taking the bouquet of flowers in his hands. She smiled to the man and turned back to the lilies in front of her.

She took the card, wondering who they were from, and read the letters carefully.

_Guys are jerks because they haven't met the right woman to change them._

_Call me sometime._

_-Jake_

His number was written below and the phone was sitting right beside her. The simple, but honest, answer changed her perspective around. Well, about Jake Jagielski anyway. And the question now is…

Does she call him?


	4. Daydream

**_[Own Nothing}_**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four: Daydream**

_Let's run away from reality/and roll around in a fantasy_

Peyton sat on her bed in the middle of a Saturday afternoon with the note falling between her fingers. The flowers Jake had sent sat across the room in a vase as the lyrics of The Cure sunk in. She always listened to The Cure when something was wrong with her.

Peyton Sawyer was in a rut.

What to do? Call him. Ignore this and move on. Call him. Answer the door because Brooke was clearly getting restless. Call him. Finish that english paper she hasn't even started yet. Call him. Change out of these clothes she had been sitting in for the past twenty-four hours. Did I mention she could call him?

"Peyton?" Brooke's voice bringing Peyton out of her trance. "I don't even know why I even bother to knock anymore. I could be some creepy stalker and walk right on in." Brooke rambled, which Peyton only caught half of for she was too busy staring at the paper in her hand. Brooke looked over to her friend and saw that she wasn't paying attention. "Okay, are you still mad at me for the whole concert thing? I mean, come on, Peyton, it's been almost a week. I was just trying to get you to have some fun. And I should be the one mad at you! You're the one that left me." She shrugged. "But hey, I'm the forgiving type."

"Brooke, it's not that." She assured, shutting Brooke up.

"Then why are you being so depressing and listening to music that requires earplugs?" Brooke asked jokingly. She saw that her friend clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes and finally noticed the longing expression on her face. She dropped the album she had been pretending to look at and climbed onto the bed next to Peyton, not needing to know what the problem was. Her friend was having some sort of hardship and she needed to be there.

"What's going on, P. Sawyer?"

Peyton didn't say anything, or make contact for that matter; she just stared down at the paper in her hand. Brooke followed the gaze and was about to question what it said, but Peyton answered before she could ask.

"It's from Jake."

"Who's Jake?"

"Jagielski." She said in an obvious tone.

Brooke chuckled, something Peyton wasn't expecting. "You expect me to believe you got a letter from Jake Jagielski? Yeah right." Peyton gave her a smug look and handed over the note. Brooke took it, the smile still intact. She read the words quickly and then looked back to Peyton shocked. "Oh my God! You got a letter from Jake Jagielski!"

"Yeah." She nodded, not as excited as her friend. "He wants to take me out…like on a date."

"That's awesome!"

"Brooke! I'm not going too."

"Why not?" She asked, thinking her friend was crazy for giving up the opportunity of a lifetime. "Peyton, this is Ja…"

"I know who it is. But Brooke, I just got dumped in case you forgot. I'm not really in the mood to date anyone right now."

"Peyton…"

"Brooke, I just don't want to."

"You're a horrible liar, you know that?" Brooke said. She knew that Peyton was a master at hiding her true feelings. And she knew that Peyton did want to go out with Jake. She saw him at the concert ready to rip her clothes with his eyes alone. "Peyton, you have to do this. Screw Lucas. It really wouldn't surprise me if he had a date set up for this weekend, so why can't you?"

"I'm just not ready." She admitted to her friend.

Brooke shook her head, not ready to accept the excuse train just yet. "Yes you are. Call him. You know you want to."

"I'm not calling him." Peyton fought.

Peyton should really know better than to fight with Brooke Davis. If there was thing Brooke inherited from her mother, it was the fact that she always got her way.

"Fine, if you don't then I will." Brooke said snatching the piece of paper from Peyton's hand and taking out her cell phone. She quickly hopped off the bed and dialed the number. Peyton tried to fight her, but Brooke locked herself in the bathroom.

Peyton banged on the door yelling at the top of her lungs for Brooke to let her in, but Brooke wouldn't budge. She waited for the person on the other line to pick up and when he did she almost lost her voice knowing it was Jake Jagielski on the other end.

"Hello?" a groggy Jake said on the other end, not exactly happy that he had been woken up.

"Hi, is this Jake?" Brooke asked, hearing the banging on the other side of the door subside. Peyton knew Brooke wasn't going to let her in and she knew that at this moment she was talking to Jake and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"This is Peyton's friend, Brooke." Jake shot up from his bed upon hearing Peyton's name. He had been waiting for days for this call, but he wanted it to be Peyton calling, not her friend. "I was just calling to let you know that she would love to go out with you sometime. She was a bit nervous to ask so she asked me to call for her. So when are you free?"

Jake shook his head, trying to see if he was still dreaming. Nope. This was real. "Umm…is Saturday good?" He asked thinking he would have to miss a show or two, but it would be worth it.

Brooke cracked open the door to see if Peyton was still there, she was, lying on her bed not looking so happy. Brooke ignored it though. "Hey Peyton, is Saturday good for you?"

"Brooke, I told you I'm not going!"

"So yes?"

"No!"

Brooke closed the door again and went back to her phone. "Saturday's great for her. What do you say Jimmy's Pizza? 8:00?"

"That sounds great. Tell her I can't wait to see her." He said, not having a clue that Peyton didn't want this one bit. Brooke said her good-byes and hung up the phone before taking a deep breath and walking out to face the wrath of Peyton Sawyer.

"I'm not going." Peyton quickly stated as soon as she saw Brooke.

"Yes you are." She said confidently. "You're going because I'm going to make sure you go."

"Brooke, why are you doing this?" Peyton groaned falling back down into her pillows.

She took a seat beside her friend making sure to get her point across. "Because, Peyton, I just want you to be happy and because I don't want you to sit in this depressing room listening to depressing music until you have a complete meltdown. I don't want that for you." She said rubbing circles on her friend's back. "The Peyton I know wouldn't be doing this because of some guy."

"Lucas wasn't just 'some guy'."

"I know he meant a lot to you. I know he still does. But Peyton," Brooke took her hand and placed it under chin, forcing Peyton to look at her, "you're better than this. You are. Besides, what if Jake's the _one_?" She questioned, a smile tracing her lips. "Are you going to let him slip away?"

"I highly doubt Jake's the one." Peyton glared over to her.

"You don't know that."

Peyton sighed; hating Brooke for being right about how she would act. "Fine, I'll go." Brooke squealed, wrapping her friend in a tight hug. "But I'm not going to have fun."

**

Saturday rolled around quick and it wasn't something Peyton wasn't looking forward to. All week Brooke had annoyed her about this date. Peyton promised to go, but didn't want to.

But as the time ticked down, Peyton found herself becoming more and more nervous. It had just now hit her that she was going on a date with Jake Jagielski. She stared at herself in the mirror, observing her outfit and hair. She was wearing the Peyton Sawyer classic jeans and converse with black scooped sweater under Ellie's leather jacket. Her hair was in her usual curls with her makeup fair.

They were going for pizza, meaning casual date, meaning there was no need for the outfit Brooke had ordered her to wear.

She did a once over in the mirror one last time before letting a sigh escape her lips and turning to leave.

**

He stood outside the small restaurant waiting for Peyton, going unnoticed by most. That was the good thing about small towns. Most people treated you like an everyday person just as long as you acted like one.

She was running late. Which for some reason didn't surprise him. She seemed like the kind of person that was never on time. It surprised him how much he had thought about this girl and what she was like. Sometimes he had to stop and tell himself that he knew nothing about her. Yet.

"Hi."

Her soft voice traveled to his ears like a symphony. He kicked himself off the wall he had been leaning on and took in her outfit. "Hey." He said back, barely able to make that sound audible. "I thought you weren't going to show up for a minute there."

"I'm here now." She threw a small smiled towards him. He nodded, not knowing what to say next. She kept that grin on and kinked her brow as she watched him rack his brain with something to say. She found it kind of cute at how nervous he was. She'll admit she found herself getting excited on her walk over here. "You want to go in?" She offered. "I'm starving."

He chuckled, liking how she wasn't afraid to admit that. He held his arm out and something came over Peyton that caused her to loop her arm through his. It didn't feel strange at all once she did though.

He led her inside and they quickly found a table away from everyone so they could talk. He was surprised when she said she wanted a large ham and sausage pizza with pineapples. Not because he was about to suggest the same thing or that she didn't even have to search the menu, but because he's never dated a girl that's wanted anything other than plain old pepperoni. He didn't dare tell her that. The look she gave said that she didn't care what he wanted, they were getting what she wanted, and he couldn't agree more.

"I'm really glad you changed your mind about this." He admitted.

"Honestly, I didn't." She bluntly stated, leaving Jake with a confused expression. "This was all Brooke. If it was up to me I'd be home watching The Office right now."

"Then I'm glad Brooke made you come." He could have told her that they could leave and he'd drop her off or that he was sorry for whatever reason, but he didn't. Because she was here now, even if she was forced, she was here with him. And he liked it that way. He saw that she wasn't going to say anything else, so he did. "The Office sucks by the way."

Her head shot up, shocked that he would say that about one of her favorite shows especially at the most random time.

"30 Rock is so much better."

And for the first time she let a small life laugh her mouth and when she looked back up to see him staring at her she couldn't help but blush. The tension was now broken and maybe they could have a date.

They ordered and Jake didn't take a second to think before saying how nervous he was. The smile she wore grew larger, liking how unafraid he was to admit that to her. From there the conversation flowed. She talked about school and her friends, mostly Brooke who he got the lovely chance to speak with earlier in the week. He talked about his old high school days, which weren't long ago, and life on the road. And of course there was music involved in these conversations.

They each found it surprising that they both had similar taste in music. But some things were off. Like what they watched on TV was so much different or how he liked his tea un-sweet and hers the other way around. Or how she could live on gummy worms for days and he found them absolutely repulsing.

But not once did he mention him being a big rockstar and not once did it cross her mind.

Their pizza came and not once did their talking subside. He noticed how she would sometimes talk with her mouth full, not caring if he or anyone found it disgusting, and it didn't to him. She didn't seem fazed by how nice and genuine he was being towards her.

It wasn't long before there were only a few pieces left and the two were full as could be. Jake stopped, setting his piece back on the plate, as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"So what do you think?"

Peyton stopped at the random question. "About what?"

"About tonight. You know, a lot of work went into this." He said motioning to the simple pizza place.

"Oh really?" She said playing along.

"Yeah." He leaned back in his chair. "Music in the distance, random couples everywhere," She laughed, "romantic lighting. Everything took planning." He smirked towards.

"You'd think just eating pizza would be simple."

He shook his head. "No way." She laughed again taking her eyes off him for just a second to take a glance around the restaurant.

Peyton furrowed her brow, trying to make out the person across the room. "What the hell?" Jake's face fell and was about to follow her gaze when he stopped her. "Don't!" Her hand unintentionally landed on his, not going unnoticed by him, he smiled. "You want to go for a walk?" He nodded, suddenly not caring what she was just talking about or who she was talking about.

They stood up to leave, with Jake throwing down a few bills to cover their meal, before turning back to Peyton. He led the way across the restaurant and Peyton followed closely behind. They reached a certain table before Peyton smacked her friend upside the head.

"Ow!" Brooke yelped nursing her head.

"Sorry." Peyton sarcastically replied, still following Jake."

**

They walked along the Riverwalk, laughing at something he had said. It was still hard to believe for both of them that Peyton didn't want to come tonight. She was having fun with Jake. He made her laugh and smile and do all those things that she hadn't done for a few weeks now. And she kind of liked it.

"So what was that back at the restaurant?" Jake asked, remembering the reason why for this walk.

Peyton couldn't help but laugh at her friend. "Brooke." She simply answered. He nodded, with a chuckled leaving his lips. "She's just looking out for me."

"That's cool." He simply exclaimed.

"Yeah." She said remembering how much her friend really cared for her. Meaning she would have to apologize for that smack later.

"You're lucky, you know that?" He said still looking ahead of him.

She turned to him and he still didn't bother to look over at her. "Why do you say that?"

He shrugged. "You just are. You got some great friends, your whole life ahead of you, dreams to fulfill."

She continued to stare at him wondering what caused him to tell her that. She knew she had awesome friends and dreams to accomplish, but why did he have to tell her?

They walked together until they came to the end of the pier and then they turned back around and started again. They weren't ready to stop yet. He wasn't ready to take her home and she honestly wasn't ready to go yet.

"Aren't you supposed to be in St. Louis right now?" She asked once the silence got too much for her.

"And how would you know that?" He looked over to her with a knowing smirk. She blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear (which he found so sexy). She couldn't help going online and looking up where exactly his next show was. "I took a few days off."

"Why?"

"Cause I had this date with this girl."

She stopped in her tracks and faced him. "You backed out of a show to come on a date with _me_?" She asked as if it were the craziest thing she had ever heard of.

"Yeah, I did." He said nonchalantly.

She was going to ask why, but didn't, too afraid of what the answer would be. Instead she looped her arm through his and continued on their way. She took in his intoxicating smell and clutched onto his sleeve tighter. He found himself staring at her lips and how the lip gloss she wore shined. It almost killed him to not reach down and place his lips on hers.

They let their feet guide the way, not noticing the direction they were going. Soon they were on Peyton's doorstep staring at one another. His eyes squinted as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket more nervous than ever.

"Listen about the concert, I'm sorry…"

"You don't have to apologize." He interrupted her. He saw how that blonde haired guy kept annoying her all night. And he knew it was probably stupid to ask her out at the time she was most pissed off, but he had to. "It's no big deal."

"Thank you for tonight though. I had fun." She smiled.

He nodded his head and stopped her before she could reach the doorknob. "I really would like to see you again sometime, Peyton. If…if that's okay?"

The two completely different answers floated in her head. Deep down she knew the answer she wanted to say, but the wrong one took over most of her mind

"Jake, I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"Please." He begged, which he rarely ever did. She gave him a look at the sudden reaction and all he could do was chuckle. "I don't mean to be desperate, but there's just something about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, not sure himself. "Whatever you want it to mean. So can I see you again sometime?" Her asked again, more nervous than before.

"I'd liked that." She whispered out, not sure if she had control over her voice anymore. She smiled and for the first time she wasn't sure if she could control it anymore. "I'll call you sometime." She gave a small wave before opening the door and walking inside.

Jake stood there, frozen, but still happy as hell that he was getting to do this again. There was just something about this girl that made him feel this way he couldn't explain. For a second he let himself believe he was dreaming and none of this happened, but this was all too good for a dream. That night Jake Jagielski went back to his hotel room a happy man.


	5. I Sorta Have a Girlfriend

**_[Own Nothing]_****

* * *

**

**Chapter Five: I Sorta Have a Girlfriend**

_I sorta have a girlfriend / It sorta, kinda depends_

She's gotten to the point where she's had to stop and tell herself that she _wasn't_ dreaming. It seemed crazy and almost childish to say that Peyton, Peyton Sawyer, high school student, was dating rockstar, Jake Jagielski. It was far from normal, but felt so comforting it felt too much like a dream.

He made her happy and she was happy to say that. It was the tiny things that did it. The little dinners, the random text messages, the late night phone calls when he was on the road (because eventually he had to go back on the road). And to him it was just fun feeling normal with her. She didn't treat him like a rockstar or a celebrity because she didn't care. It meant nothing to her.

After that first date, Jake stayed a few days. He went on yet another date with Peyton to the movies and then to dinner. They went from there. Jake canceled a few more shows to stay in Tree Hill for awhile, which didn't make Dave very happy, but Jake didn't care. He spent his days here with Peyton of course. They went on those little walks at night along the beach and kept themselves from the outside world during the day. When Peyton was at school, Jake spent most of his time in the studio at the edge of town. They didn't want much attention; in fact they didn't want any, so they kept it that way.

Of course Peyton told Brooke and maybe Haley and Nathan, but that was it.

Eventually Jake had to go back on the road though. And she would never admit it, but it kind of broke her heart. But he always promised to call her, and email, and text, and every other technology man had come up with in this day in age. He never really had an idea of when he was coming back - he just always made the promise that he was coming back someday. And that's what made her believe it.

When Jake did come back it was only for a week or so at a time. Not long. Like now, he was only here for three days, four tops.

He walked into the room, his cell phone loosely in his hand, as he wore a confused expression. "What's wrong?" Peyton asked once looking up from her current sketch.

He met her eyes and whatever was going on with him vanished when he saw those electrifying green eyes. A smile graced his lips and he walked closer to her bed and sat down beside her. "Nothing." He lied. "You want to go for a walk?"

She arched her brow, giving him a questioning look. "Why?"

He chuckled. "Because it's a beautiful day and I don't want to spend it inside. I want to spend it with you holding my hand as we walk along the pier." He reached for her hand, sliding his finger into her hers. She didn't question his sudden change in moods or the fact this one of those rare times where they spent the day together outside her house. She didn't want to.

So she didn't.

They walked until they couldn't walk anymore. Then they got ice cream and started walking again. There was no specific destination or reason behind this random adventure. He just wanted to take a walk with her and she just wanted to be with him.

Very rarely did they go out in the middle of the day like this. Tree Hill was a small town where not a lot of people would bother you and ask questions to your face, but they would say something once you were gone. It was a place where there were no paparazzi or where anyone really cared about big time magazines. Of course there were fans that wanted his autograph and they were happy to stop and Peyton was happy to wait for him to finish. His fans matter to him and she wouldn't tear him away from that.

Somewhere along the way they ended up at the Rivercourt. They didn't know how – they just did. Luckily, it wasn't Lucas that was there like he normally was, but Nathan and Haley. Peyton knew it was a tradition of theirs to come to the Rivercourt on Saturday. Nathan would do his thing while Haley did hers, which was mostly watching her man look sexy as hell.

Eventually Nathan and Jake got themselves into a game of one-on-one (who knew rockstars could be good at basketball), while Peyton and Haley continued what they did best.

"So things are good?" Haley asked randomly after Nathan shot a perfect three.

A smile appeared on her face and she didn't have to turn towards her friend for her to know the answer. All she had to do was nod.

"I'm happy for you Peyton."

"Thanks."

**

"So dude, what's the deal with you and Peyton?" Nathan asked once the girls left to get some lunch. The ball bounced from one hand to the other as Nathan tried to find the right move to score on Jake. He was good, Nathan had to admit, but he was better.

"I'll tell you when I know." He smirked, blocking Nathan's way to the basket.

His face scrunched, not liking the sound of that answer. "Not good, huh?"

"No!" He quickly responded. "No, that's not it at all. Things are great, but…it's hard sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed; trapping the ball he had stolen from Nathan to his hip. "Being on the road and having a girlfriend at the same time is not the easiest thing in the world."

He nodded, pretending that he understood. But he didn't. He wasn't a rockstar that had to leave every few days to go play some song in some town. He didn't have to leave Haley behind for him to miss him. And thankfully he never had to.

"She likes you a lot." He stated.

"Yeah?"

"Hell yeah." He said, taking the ball from Jake. "Peyton Sawyer's not really the dating type."

"Did you just call her a slut?" Jake questioned, taking Nathan's statement in a completely different way.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. "She doesn't trust a lot of people." He corrected. "She doesn't do serious relationships, but when she does she puts her whole heart into it. And it almost kills her when it gets broken."

"I'm not gonna hurt her." He stated sternly.

"I know."

"You do?"

"No." He shook his head earning a confused look from Jake. "That's up to you if you hurt her or not. But just know that there are only four women that are most important in my life. And Peyton is one of them." He stared over at Jake. He didn't want to make this threat, but he felt he had to. After seeing what his brother did to Peyton, he couldn't let another guy do the same thing. There were only four women he had to protect. Haley, his mom, Brooke, and Peyton. "Just know if you hurt her…" He trailed, not needing to finish his sentence.

"I know."

"Hey guys!" Haley's voice entered the air. The two looked over to see both Peyton and Haley taking their seats back on the bleachers with a burger and fries in each hand. "What are you guys talking about?"

Nathan looked to Jake and Jake looked to Nathan. With a silent agreement, they decided to keep this between each other.

"Oh, just how I'm about to kick your husband's ass in this next game." Jake said stealing the ball from the Nathan and dribbling to the top of the key.

"Men." Peyton muttered shaking her hand while Haley laughed at her comment.

Jake looked over to Peyton sometime during the game and shot her a wink and she could only smile.

**

The fair was apparently in town. So of course they went. They had nothing better to do. The four of them piled into Nathan's beat down car and drove the fifteen minute drive to downtown Tree Hill.

He held her hand the whole time as they walked from booth to booth spending money on stupid games and fattening food. He'd shoot her a smile from time to time and she happily shot one back.

She hit him pretty hard when they were in the bumper cars and he swore he'd get her back. She could laugh at his threat and told him to bring it on. For the rest of the day they played these little games where they would 'burn' one another or play a practical joke on the other.

He squirted her with a water gun during the middle of a game. She retaliated by buying a piece of pie just to shove it in his face. It went on the rest of the day and got to the point where Nathan and Haley found it best to walk three feet behind them so they wouldn't be embarrassed.

It wasn't until he forced her into the haunted house (which was pointless in the middle of September) that Peyton got sick of the game. On the outside she seemed like this tough, independent woman who could face anything, but really she hated anything to do with the word haunted.

And when it was over he found his arm very sore from the X amount of times she had hit him for making her do this. He called a truce on the game and she did to, not wanting to know whatever else he had up his sleeve.

Instead they walked hand and hand playing games and joking around with their friends or her friends. Jake didn't really know what Nathan, Haley, and Brooke were to him yet. They accepted him and they like him. And he liked them. And they liked him with Peyton. Apparently a lot more than they did with Lucas.

Being a rockstar meant not being able to keep up with friends like you would like to. But with this group of people they understood why he couldn't stay long or why he didn't call that much. They were just high school students and had never witnessed his life before, but they still understood.

They stopped for more ice cream on their way home (like they didn't get enough while there). With a loss of rock, paper, scissor, Nathan and Peyton found themselves standing in line waiting to order while Haley and Jake sat at their table.

"So what were you and Jake talking about earlier?" Peyton asked as she looked over the different flavors from behind the glass.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nathan played dumb. She shot him a look as her eyebrow arched. He knew she knew and he knew she wanted him to say it. "You." He caved.

She smiled proudly to herself. She certainly did have a way with men. "And?" She asked, knowing there was more behind than his simple answer.

"And I told him I'd kick his ass if he ever hurt you." He stated seriously.

She wasn't angry, just a little annoyed. But she couldn't help but laugh. He always did this. Promised to protect her when he didn't need to. He did it with Lucas and somewhere in their twisted relationship he did it when they dated. Nathan Scott was a martyr, a protector. He did what he could to make sure you didn't get screwed over. It was who he was.

"Thank you." She finally said after an annoyed sighed. "It means a lot that you care." Her hand went to his arm for a gentle rub and a smile formed as he returned the expression.

"No problem."

"So what are you getting?" she asked changing the subject.

He shrugged, not really caring about the different flavors. "Chocolate I guess."

"Boring!"

He smiled. "Oh yeah, what are you getting?"

"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!" She answered childishly.

"You're such a kid." He chuckled shaking his head from side to side, wondering how his moody, depressing, hidden Peyton turned into this childish, fun-loving, happy Peyton. He knew the answer. It didn't need to be said.

"Tell me you've tried it." She demanded, knowing he never had. "Oh my God! What is wrong with you? This is the best flavor of ice cream man has invented. You can't live without ever having tried it."

"I guess I'm not living then."

She playfully slapped him in the chest as she couldn't help but laugh. "You have to try it. You, you…oh my God." Her hand covered her face. His face gave her a crazy look.

"It's that good, huh?"

"Yes!"

"Okay then, we'll have one strawberry, one mint chocolate chip," He looked to Peyton with a smile, "and two chocolate chip cookie dough."

**

"So I guess you're going to talk to me about Peyton." Jake said watching Haley fiddled with something on her cell phone.

She set it down and looked up to him. "I wasn't, but if that's the topic conversation you want to have then okay."

"Go ahead and get it over with." He suggested, knowing this conversation would come along sooner or later. He had already gotten it from Nathan early. And from Brooke a few days ago. They were all the same. _Peyton really likes you. You hurt her and I'll hurt you. _Nothing he hasn't heard before.

"I know she likes me and I like her. And I'm not going to hurt her. I promise."

She nodded. "That's good to know. It's hard for her. Opening her heart."

"So I've been told. And I'm waiting, hoping, that she'll do it for me."

"She already has." Haley said. When she saw he didn't understand she sighed and went into detail. "You remember that Wallflowers CD she gave you a few days ago?" He nodded, remembering when she randomly handed him a CD and said _'here'._ "Her father gave her that for her tenth birthday. It had been a year after her mom had died and he didn't know what else to get her since her mom usually did the shopping. So he went to the store and picked out a random CD. She told me she listened to that CD for weeks after that."

He had no idea how much that one object meant to her. She had just given it over like it was no big deal, like it was just a CD. But it was more than that. He didn't know about her mom and he never questioned why her father was never home when he came over. He knew from the second he saw her that she was a mystery and he was sure that he wanted to know everything about her.

"She never did that with Lucas." Haley said bring Jake out of his trance. "She never gave him anything special of hers and she never cared to."

He nodded in understanding. "Thanks for telling me that."

"You're welcome." She smiled, ready for a subject change. "So when are you heading out again?"

His mouth opened, ready to answer the dreary question, but was cut off by Nathan and a strawberry cone being placed in front of him. "Ice cream all around."

"Yum!" Haley said shoving her spoon into hers. They sat for a second with Peyton throwing glances at Nathan and Jake was about to question what was going on before Nathan interrupted him.

"This is so good!" Nathan announced with his mouth opened.

"Told you!" Peyton laughed.

"What is it?" Haley asked feeling left out. Jake just watched from his side of the table.

"Chocolate chip cookie dough."

"Nathan Scott ordered something other than chocolate? I don't believe it." Haley teased.

"Haley, you have to try this." He assisted shoving his cone towards her.

"I've had chocolate chip cookie dough before, nothing that great." She chuckled, backing away from Nathan's cone.

"You guys are weird." Jake piped in laughing to himself.

"You know you love us." Peyton said smacking his arm playfully.

He laughed at her comment, but couldn't help but linger on that one word. Love. It was too early to tell. But he really did love this group of people. Her especially. He wouldn't tell her that now and it might be awhile before he does. Right now he was just happy to be here with her and her friends. His friends.

"You know what would be cool?" He suggested, arching a brow. She shook her head. "Mixing all of these flavors together."

She smiled at his bright idea like she was a kid in a candy shop. "Do it!"

Soon the table was covered in a mixture of strawberry, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate chip cookie dough. It wasn't exactly appetizing or anything they would ever eat again, but the four of them ate every bite of the concoction they created.

They laughed at how horrible it was and complained at how they just wasted a small amount of money that didn't really mean anything to any of them. Nathan and Haley called it a day and were ready to get home. They offered the couple a ride, but they'd rather walk.

So they continued to walk hand and hand like they had the whole entire day. They each wore smiles and continued to laugh at how crazy they were.

It wasn't until they saw Lucas that their smiles fell.

He was walking out of his mom's café with a garbage back in hand and that broody expression he wore. He gave a small smile to her, but shot a glare to Jake.

Jake's hand clutched hers tighter when he started talking to her.

"How are you?" He asked awkwardly.

"Fine." She answered quickly.

"Good." He nodded, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "I've haven't really seen you around lately."

"I've been busy."

"Hi, I'm Jake." Jake intervened, extending out his hand, to the pleasure of Peyton. "Peyton's boyfriend."

Lucas shot her a look. Since when did she get a boyfriend? Peyton wore the same expression Lucas did and glanced up to Jake who wore the only smile of the group.

"I know who you are. Rockstar, right?"

Jake nodded proudly. He knew what Lucas was doing. This guy was jealous. He clearly wanted Peyton back or he didn't want Jake or any other guy to be with her. He knew guys like this. Which is why he told him that he was Peyton's boyfriend. One, to get him to back off and forget about ever getting back with her. Two, so they could end this stupid little dance they were doing. And three, just because he wanted to say it.

"You really think this will work?" Lucas asked smugly. "You and Peyton?"

"Lucas!" Peyton warned.

"Yeah, I do." He said proudly. "Now if you'll excuse us, it's getting dark and we have to get going. It was nice meeting you Lucas."

Jake gave one last smug smile to him before him and Peyton made their way down the sidewalk. He never let go of her hand and she didn't dare let him

**

The sun was almost gone by the time they walked on her street. They walked right past her house. He questioned it and all she said was that she wanted to show him something.

She took him to the end of the street where the road ended and forest began. The branches coming from all directions didn't stop Peyton maneuvering around them. Jake could see where she had probably taken this trail so much that it made a path.

He continued to question where she was taking him, but she just ignored him.

The way she jumped over tree stumps and climbed over fallen branches kept his attention for awhile. Finally she stopped and he ran into her in the process. The smile she had didn't falter when she almost fell to the ground, luckily he saved her though.

"Where are we?" He asked for the twentieth time.

"Just look." She shrugged. He did as he was told and was happy he did. She led him to what looked like to be a forgotten lake. It was quiet and it looked beautiful as the sun settled on top of it. Birds chirped in the distance, singing what seemed to be the perfect melody. Squirrels traveled in the distance collecting nuts for their little squirrel families. Everything seemed perfect in that exact moment. Time seemed to stop and nothing matter.

"How did you find this place?" He asked, still looking out to the water like she was.

"My mom used to bring me here when it was warm outside. We would just stand with our feet in the water and talk for hours about nothing." She wrapped her arms around her body, pretending it was her mother's arms again. A tear fell from her eye and she couldn't bring herself to look over to Jake. "I miss her." She stated, knowing he already knew about her mother. He didn't know the story behind it, but he knew she wasn't there.

"I know you do." He said wrapping his arm around her waist. He led her over to the water stopping when it covered their ankles. She loved how he just knew what to do in this kind of situation.

"I'm sorry about earlier with Lucas." She said turning to face him finally. His eyes met hers and he never wanted to tear them away.

"Don't be." She nodded ending that topic. "Did you have fun today?" She nodded again, setting her head against his chest. "Good. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you give me that CD?"

"Because I thought you'd like it." She lied, trying to hide it with a chuckle.

"I know that CD means a lot to you. Haley told me. I love it, I do." He assured. "But you didn't have to give it to me if you didn't want to. And if it meant a lot to you then why did you give it to me in that way?"

"I don't know. It just seemed easier that way. I wanted you to have something that was special to me and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it and seem like such a girl."

"Thank you."

She nodded again, looking back to the water. "Can I ask you a question now?" He nodded and she looked up to him catching his eyes. "How do you feel about water?" He shot her a confused look and before he knew it, she grabbed his arms and the two fell into the knee deep water.

His head shot up instantly as did hers. "What was that for?" He couldn't help but laugh.

"I had to get you back somehow for making me go into that haunted house."

He grabbed her and shoved her head underwater. The two splashed water on each other for awhile. No one knew where they were or what they were doing and they liked it that way. It was fun going out into the real world and acting like a real couple, but they liked it more when they were alone. They could be themselves (not that that's ever been a problem). But they felt they didn't have to put up an act with the other. It was easier.

He ended up carrying her out of the water after she started teasing him about something. He sat her down in front of a log and sat down beside her. They eventually calmed down and finished watching the sun go down.

But there was one thing that continued to circle her mind.

"What are we?" She asked him during one of their silent moments. "Earlier you said you were my boyfriend. Was that because of Lucas?"

"No."

"So you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, never giving much thought about until now. "I guess."

"You don't sound very convincing." He smirked.

"It's not easy. I mean, it hasn't even been that long and…being Peyton Sawyer's boyfriend is not an easy job." She warned.

"I never expected easy."

"So it's official then?"

"You tell me." He looked to her, hoping she would say yes to him.

"It's official then." She smiled as did he. They didn't stay very much longer. It was getting dark and they didn't want to be the lost teenagers in the woods all over the news. He soon got her back to her house and of course they stayed on the doorstep as one of them tried to find something to say.

"I need to tell you something." He announced, making her look up at him. He sighed, taking his hand and running through his hair. "Dave called this morning."

"Your manager?"

"Yeah. I got a show in Manhattan to do and a few more after that."

"Okay." She said, not understanding. He was supposed to leave in a few days anyway. She didn't see why he was telling her this.

"I leave tomorrow night."

She broke away from him, taking a step back to take in his appearance. "Tomorrow night? No you can't leave. You said you were leaving Thursday."

"I know. But I can't get out of this Peyton. It's something I haven't to do. I've already dropped out of too many shows to be here." He said, not taking a step to her. He knew what her next question would be and he knew she wouldn't like it.

"How long will you be gone?"

"A few weeks."

"A few weeks! Jake…" She trailed, speechless and not having a clue of what to say.

He finally took a step forward and embraced her in his arms. Her arms went around his body as he stroked her hair. "I promise it will go by in no time. And we'll talk everyday. We'll email and call and text. It will be just like normal. I promise."

Normal. She didn't like normal very much. She loved getting his calls and emails, but she would much rather have him there with her than some stupid text. She wanted him not his words. A couple weeks seemed like forever to her. She had become so attached with him and it hurt when he left.

He could tell she wasn't convinced. Just by the way her arms felt around him. He knew. "Hey," He pulled her away, looking down at her, "I've never felt happier than when I'm with you. I've never felt this much of…everything." He chuckled to himself at the realization. "And if I could I would stay here with you forever."

She smiled, now more convinced than anything. "You better mean that."

"I do."

He pulled her in tighter and just held her because that's what he thought she needed. They sat on her doorstep. She didn't want to go in and have this night be over. He didn't want to go back to that hotel room. He just wanted to be here with her and nothing more.

"I don't want to go." He said after awhile. He knew he shouldn't have said it, but he had to. Just for the sake of her knowing he really didn't want to go. He just needed to know that she knew too. She never asked him to stay or to give anything up because she never would and he thought that was one the greatest things he had ever witnessed. He knew she hated it when he left and so did he. "I want to stay here with you."

She smiled remembering Ellie in that moment. "Every song ends, Jake, but that's no reason not to enjoy the music." He turned to her and smiled at the words.

She was right.

He was going to enjoy the time he had with her now.


	6. Waiting for Now

**_[Own Nothing]_****

* * *

**

**Chapter Six: Waiting for Now**

_One day we'll find a nest/One day all our dreams will manifest/One day they say it will all make sense/Or will we die waiting_

Now that she thought about it, he never really did tell her _exactly_ when he was coming back. The realization came to her in the second week of his absence when he called her at two in the morning on a Tuesday and there was music blaring in the background. He ended the call early on a count that it was time for his performance.

It kind of shocked her how much she missed him. She never missed Lucas this much, nor did it ever cross her mind. But with Jake it was different. He wasn't in the same town as her. She couldn't just get up one morning and go see him. He was in a different city every night while she was here…in Tree Hill.

He sent gifts, but the phone calls were shortened. She wrote e-mails, and he rarely replied. She knew he was busy and didn't want to be that desperate girlfriend, but would it kill him to quit sending gifts and have a conversation with her?

They ranged from flowers to CD's. Sometimes they would be stupid things that he picked up in town. Funny little things like a tee shirt with a certain saying on it or a snow globe. He knew she would hate that kind of stuff which is why she would laugh when she saw it. And she did. But she was more excited to read the card he would send with the gift than watch Miami get snowed on by blue glitter. She hated to be that girl, but she missed him.

She went to school and came home. She put on her happy face and smiled because she was happy. It was just hard sometimes. Brooke helped a lot with shopping and gossip. Her friend knew that when Peyton fell for a guy she fell hard and with him not being here it was harder. And there was always TRIC to keep her mind busy.

But it was mostly Brooke.

"Hi best friend." Brooke greeted slinging her arm around Peyton's shoulder with her books in the other hand. It was Friday, or day 29 since Jake's been gone as Peyton called it. "And how are you on this fine day?"

"Eh so, so." She shrugged.

"Jake on your mind?" She asked knowing the answer.

Peyton nodded. "They're getting shorter and yesterday he sent me flowers."

Brooke rubbed her hand along her friend's arm. "He'll be home soon. I promise." She didn't ether agree or disagree, but she nodded and they continued on their way to class.

They took their seats beside one another like they always did, but as Brooke chatted with Bevin, Peyton got lost somewhere in her mind. She had never been this torn up over a guy before, not even Lucas, but with Jake it felt…different. He was sweet yet straight-forward. Honest but compassionate. He was like a guy version of Peyton. He hid away in his music like she did in her artwork, but he let the world see and interpret it just like she did.

"Hey," Broke grabbed her attention somewhere in the middle of class. Peyton turned to her, only half paying attention to their teacher, "since you're in this little funk and Nate and Luke are going out of town for the weekend; I've decided me, you and tutor-girl have ourselves a slumber party at the apartment."

"Brooke, we're not in seventh grade anymore." She whispered back with a smirk.

"Come on." She practically whined earning a 'Shh' from the teacher. Brooke looked to the front and waited for her to go back to her lesson before turning back to Peyton. "It'll be fun. I promise."

"Don't you think you should ask Haley before you take over her apartment?"

"Oh she doesn't care." She scoffed. "What else does she have to do?" In perfect Brooke fashion she didn't wait for an answer. "Your Ouija board and you skinny ass better be there at eight. Oh and leave the depressing funk at home." She turned back to her empty notebook where notes were supposed to be, leaving Peyton chuckling at her friend.

**

"Hey."

She turned from the collection of CDs on her bed to the blue eyed boy at her door. "Hi." She mustered, still kind of surprised to see him in her room. The last time they had talked was when she was warning Jake not to get into it with him. And that was almost two weeks ago. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going out of town with Nate."

"I am." He inched closer into the room, but still kept his distance. "He and Haley were saying good-bye and I really didn't want to be there to see that." He smiled when a small laugh escaped her lips. He wouldn't admit it, but he missed that laugh.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry." He said. "For the way acted at the benefit concert and…with Jake. I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"I might have been a little overbearing." She tossed him a look and he sighed. "Okay I _was_ being overbearing. It's just…I didn't expect you to move on so fast especially with someone like Jake."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She interrupted.

"Nothing." He quickly defended. "I never expected you to fall for the rockstar type." He said seeing the irony in it all. Peyton seemed like the exact girl to fall for the musician, but she wasn't. Peyton wasn't the girl to get into that lifestyle. She wanted a laid back relationship where things were simple yet exciting. Not the kind where it was all adventure all the time. That really wasn't Peyton. He knew that and so did she. "And it was a little hard for me seeing you with someone else."

"You broke up with me Lucas."

"I know." His eyes fell on the drawing she had up on her wall across the room. The one with him, her, and Brooke pretty much shooting at his heart. "It was hard, wasn't it?"

She followed his gaze to the picture and she knew he wasn't just asking if it was hard to move on from him. He was asking if it was hard to get over that triangle. And it was. It was hard to get her friend back and to keep Lucas in her life.

"Yeah." She turned back to him. "But it was a lot easier to put it all behind me. Her phone beeped, receiving a message form Brooke. "I got to go. You and Nate have fun this weekend."

He nodded lingering in the doorway. "I'll be seeing ya."

**

As she was told, Peyton showed up at Haley's eight o'clock sharp with her bag in hand and cell phone in the other.

The open door and fallen lamp wouldn't have freaked her out as much if Haley was home. But she wasn't. She was tutoring. And so now she was scared. Where the hell was Brooke?

She grabbed the baseball bat by the door and made her way to the bedroom where she could hear movement. Once she got there and her hand was on the doorknob she wondered why she didn't call the police. But she couldn't go back now and the door flew open and a loud scream left her throat when she saw the scene before her.

"Peyton!"

"Brooke!"

"Felix!"

The two girls looked to the shirtless guy in Haley's bed when he yelled out his own name. "What?" He said when he saw the glares of the girls. There was that usual grin on his face and he was naked! In Haley's apartment – in her bed- and with Brooke.

Peyton slammed the door and walked back into the kitchen as she waited for Brooke to come out.

"Please don't tell Haley." She pleaded running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen wrapping a robe around her waist.

"You had sex in her bed!"

"Because I don't have one!" She groaned throwing her elbows on the counter.

"You had sex in her bed." Peyton repeated.

"Thank you for reminding me." She growled. "Look, Felix will be gone in a minute and I'll just throw Haley's sheets in the wash. She'll never know."

"You had sex in her bed."

"I know, okay? Just…please"

"Fine." She muttered. "But he better be gone in five minutes." Brooke nodded and they both turned their heads when they heard the showerhead. "Is that the shower?"

"_The water is hot! And so is Felix!"_ They could hear him sing.

Peyton could only glare while Brooke coward away back into the bedroom to get the sheets and to stay away from Peyton and all the sharp objects around her.

**

Felix left, but not before Haley came home and walked in on him in the shower. Eventually he left though and the girls finally started their party. Brownies and cookies were made. Ice cream tubs were cracked open and bags of chips were torn apart. They gave makeovers and avoided the subject of Felix all together. At least Brooke and Peyton did.

"So let me get this straight." Haley said as Brooke applied a face mask to Haley's face. "Felix's shower was broken so he came all the way across town to use _my_ shower."

"Yes." Brooke nodded avoiding contact.

"Brooke." Peyton warned as she sat across the room painting her toenails. Haley looked to Peyton and then back to Brooke and then it came to her. She knew, and Brooke knew that she knew.

She gave a disgusted look and fought with everything in her to not start yelling at her friend. "That's so gross!" Haley got up and stormed back to her room as Brooke and Peyton followed behind.

"Haley! Please come out. I'm sorry." Brooke banged on the door.

"No!"

A phone started to ring and Peyton bolted back to the living room to answer, going unnoticed by Brooke. "Hey!" A smile instantly lit up once she saw the name on the caller id.

"Hey." Jake's voice boomed in her ear. She could hear loud music in the background and she knew he was at a show probably getting ready to go on. "What's up?"

"I'm at Haley's trying to help Brooke get Haley out of her room."

"Why?" She could hear him chuckle.

"Brooke had sex in her bed and Haley just found out." She said as if the most normal thing in the world.

Jake chuckled. "Well I guess that's Brooke Davis for you."

"Yeah. What are you doing?"

"I'm in Denver getting ready to go on. I needed to talk to my good luck charm." He could sense her smile and he smiled knowing that he could do that from a thousand miles away.

She paused, letting the words in her mind float. "Jake, I miss you."

"I miss you too, Peyton. But I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay." She mustered out.

"I got to go, but I'll call you later…bye Peyton."

"Bye."

The line went dead on her side of the phone and she slowly, but surely, closed it. She didn't know why she was acting like this with him. She didn't know why she got excited when she saw his name on the caller id. She knew every time it was only going to be a two minute conversation, but it still got her heart pumping every time she heard his voice. It was like this in the beginning of Lucas, but quickly faded in a few short weeks. With Jake it was different. It was…unexplainable.

"Haley!" Brooke's hand banging against the door brought Peyton out of her trance. She stuck the phone in her pocket and ran back down the hall to the door where Brooke was still standing.

"Let me talk to her." She said moving past Brooke and opening the door they both thought was locked. She closed the door behind her, keeping Brooke from coming in, leaving only the two of them in the room. Haley sat at the end of her bed on the floor. Peyton was sure she could see a tear, but continued to walk further into the room. "Come on Haley it's not something you really cry over. All you got to do is yell a few angry words and you'll feel a lot better." She tried to joke, but Haley didn't even crack a smile. "She's really sorry. She didn't want you to freak out."

Haley sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I know she's sorry, but that's not what I'm crying about." She said wiping the tears away as she clutched the pillow she had tighter.

"Then what is it?"

"I wasn't tutoring this afternoon." She looked to Peyton and back down to her pillow. "I was with Chris." She muttered out sort of hoping she didn't hear.

"What?" Peyton laughed as if it was a joke. The expression Haley had turned Peyton's serious. "Haley…why?" Haley didn't answer. She couldn't because she didn't know why. Chris was Chris. He was this guy that popped out of nowhere and told Haley the truth about her music. Or what he thought was the truth.

Peyton didn't know that and took their meeting as something else. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"What?" She looked to her in disbelief. "No! It's just…" She sighed not sure of how to explain it, "Chris is so passionate about his music and I want to be and I feel like Chris can help me with that. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah." Peyton nodded. "But you know, Haley, Jake's a musician. A pretty damn good one. Way better than Chris Keller could ever be." She smiled at her boyfriend's talent. He was good, really good.

"I know and I would ask for tips, but when is he ever here? I don't want to burden him, Peyt."

"Yeah." The two sat there in silence, not sure of how to fill it. Haley's mind landed on Chris and whether or not this was worth it. Nathan didn't like him and she knew he would be pissed if he found out where she was tonight. Was she really willing to risk her marriage for a pipedream?

Peyton's mind fell on Jake and what he was doing right now.

"So you're not mad at Brooke?" Peyton asked after awhile.

"Hell yes I'm still mad. She had sex in my bed Peyton."

"I know, I know. But she's going through a tough time right now, so give her a break." Peyton defended her friend.

"Yeah, okay. But I better be getting some new sheets!"

**

"Haley, I'm so sorry." Brooke said once she was finally allowed in the room. She was ready to continue until Haley's hand went up in protest.

"It's fine. But don't let it happen again. And don't tell Nathan." She warned knowing if her husband found out there would be hell to pay. Brooke nodded, backing out of the room, but was stopped when Peyton grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed.

"Oh no, we need to talk."

"No that's okay. I've learned my lesson." She tried to get free again, but was pulled back by Peyton and Haley this time. "Guys, there's nothing to talk about."

"What's going on with you and Felix, Brooke?" Peyton asked.

"Nothing." She shrugged. "We're just friends with benefits."

"Yeah and I think that's crap."

"Peyton…" Brooke groaned.

"She's right, Brooke. "Haley intervened. "Now there are only two ways this is going to end. He's going to find some other girl to jump into bed with or you're going to fall for him and he's gonna break your heart. Either way you end up feeling horrible."

"And plus he's not good enough for you." Peyton added. "You're better than friends with benefits."

"You guys just don't understand." She said avoiding contact trying to keep her attention on the fabric of the blanket.

"Then why don't you explain it to us."

She looked to Haley and then to Peyton. A sigh left her as her fingers smoothed through her hair. "It was hard. Getting your heart broken by Lucas Scott. You know that." She said looking to Peyton. "You're lucky to have found Jake, but I don't think my heart could take it if it was broken like that again."

**

They fell asleep like that. The three of them piled up in Haley's bed completely forgetting about the mess they had made in the living room and kitchen early. They had stayed up for awhile. Each one going into their own little stories of when they were kids and when they thought the most stupid things were cool. They told jokes and said things just to hear the other laugh. They remembered when times were easier and when the thought of love didn't cross their minds. When they were just kids.

Brooke and Peyton shared most of the same memories. But Haley shared her childhood with Lucas on the outsider turf.

They wondered what it would have been like if Haley hadn't been an outsider and instead grown up with Peyton and Brooke. Things would have been different, maybe not easier, but that's how things turned out and you can't change it.

Eventually they all drifted into their own little dream worlds.

It amazed Peyton sometimes how her friends worked. How Brooke went form being the vixen to being a genuine friend in a split second. How Haley went from sweet tutor-girl to rockstar still fascinated Peyton. She wanted to help her friends with their problems, but Brooke was just being insecure and Haley just needed to know if her husband could trust her.

She really had no place in the matter, but that wouldn't stop her from being there.

The phone in her pocket started ringing. It echoed throughout the quiet room and everybody in the bed shifted.

"Peyton…" Brooke groaned covering her head with a pillow. "Tell your boyfriend to call at a normal hour."

Peyton ignored her whining and, with more energy than before, jumped out of bed and back into the living room. "Hello?" She said into the phone rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey!"

"Jake?"

"Of course it's Jake. Who else would call you at…?" He stopped to look at his watch. "Wow Peyton, I'm sorry. I totally forgot it was three in the morning there."

"No it's okay. It's good to hear your voice." She blushed at her won words. Oh God, she was turning into that girl again. "How was the show?"

"It was good. Great crowd, great show." He always kept the concert part of their conversations short. He knew she wouldn't want to hear about it. It was the thing that kept them apart. "I wish you could have been here."

"Me too."

They stayed like that for awhile. Neither one said a word. Neither one wanted to. There was so much to say, but not enough time to say it in. She wanted to tell him to come back to her and forget about the tour all together. She wanted to tell him that she might be in love with him and that this isn't how you have a loving relationship.

But she didn't.

She kept her mouth shut.

"Jake, when are you coming home?" She asked for the second time that night. She figured the more that she's asked the quicker he'd get the clue.

"It won't be much longer."

Why couldn't he ever give her an exact date and time? Why'd he have to be so cryptic about it?

"How's the sleepover?" He asked with a laugh. She laughed to and went into detail about this interesting night. She stayed on the couch for awhile listening as he went into a story and he sat on the bus listening to her.

He could hear her heavy breathing on the other end of the phone and could only guess that she was sleeping. "Peyton?" No answer. "Goodnight Peyton. I love you." He finally hung up, letting the girl get her sleep.

She curled up further on the couch and her eyes popped open when his voice went away. Their conversation lasted for over an hour and still that same question stayed in mind.

When is he coming home?

**

Her house held the usual quietness. It smelled of old vinyls and the Chinese food she had the other day. Home sweet home.

She thought about calling her dad, telling him the usual, but she was too exhausted. The four hours of sleep she managed to get after her phone call with Jake wasn't going to get her through the day. It was Saturday and she planned on sleeping all day.

She collapsed on her comfy mattress, the coffee she had that morning had worn off, the crick in her neck ached. Her eyelids became heavy as every limb in her body was still. She was almost asleep when a knock came from downstairs.

It got louder and louder as she tried to ignore it. If it was so important they'd come back later.

_There was a knock at her door and she was almost hesitant to answer it. She knew who it was and she knew why he was here and she wanted him here for every other reason except this one. She figured if she never answered than he'd never leave and he would be at his hotel when she called him that night._

"_Come on Peyton we got to do this sometime." He yelled from the other side of the door._

_She opened the door with her innocent green eyes and his face changed at the sight of them. At that moment he wanted to call his manager up and cancel just at the sight of those eyes._

"_I don't want you to go." She whispered out clutching onto his tee shirt._

"_I know." His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed her forehead. "But I have to." She nodded into his chest. "I'm going to call, I promise. And email and everything, okay?"_

"_Yeah."_

_He broke away from her grasp and stared down at her. "I'll call you as soon as I get there." Her eyes started to watered and he had to get out of there before he saw her cry and then really did start thinking about not leaving at all. "Bye Peyton."_

"_Bye."_

_And then he was gone._

Her phone started ringing and she couldn't bring herself to get up and answer it.

"_You know if you're trying to avoid me then you shouldn't park your car outside your house."_

His voice came over the answering machine and her head popped up instantly.

Her feet sprung to the floor and down the stairs in record time. The door swung open and there he stood on her walkway just waiting for her. She flew into his arms as his wrapped securely around her.

For that one moment the last three weeks didn't matter. All the pent up emotions she had were put into that one hug. "I missed you." She said cupping his jaw.

Jake was home. Her Jake.

He inched closer to her and brought his lips to hers. He's wanted to do that for the longest time and now that he was doing it he couldn't bring himself to stop, but he had to, to see those beautiful green eyes.

He pulled away and saw them and he swore his heart stopped. "I missed you too."


	7. Easy

**_[Own Nothing]_**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Seven: Easy**

_You want me to say what you want to hear/I will stay cause baby I'm right here_

Jake sat in his hotel room alone. He had just hung up with Peyton and he just told her 'I love you'. Granted she was asleep and didn't hear it, but he said it nonetheless. But what racked his brain more was that he said it over the phone while he was in Denver, not standing in front of his girlfriend.

He hadn't seen her in over three weeks and he declared that he loved her. It questioned him whether or not he was in love _with_ her or the_ idea_ of her.

And he wondered if she felt the same and if she was asking herself the same questions.

He had to go back. He couldn't do this, not to her. He remembered first seeing her and was willing to give up the entire tour for her in that moment. And he almost did.

But he didn't.

So he was going to fix it. He packed a bag and found a flight for Tree Hill online that was leaving in an hour. He didn't tell Dave or anyone for that matter. He didn't even call Peyton. They'd all find out eventually.

And he left.

To see Peyton.

**

"What are you doing here?" She asked once they got back in the house. She led him to the kitchen and pulled out two cups to fill with coffee.

"I figured you waited long enough." He said taking a seat at the table. She walked around it and took a seat in his lap with her hands wrapped around his neck. God, she missed him.

"Hi." She said never properly greeted him.

"Hi." He smiled back at her.

She shook her head vigorously trying to get the idea that Jake was really here to stay in her mind. Even though it made her sound like a complete girl, it all felt like a dream. She looked into those brown eyes and didn't feel all the emptiness she had felt these past few weeks. She felt complete and warm and…happy. And this was the first time in a long time that she let herself be happy.

And she thinks all she had to do was look into those brown eyes.

He laughed at her when she didn't tear away from him, making him think there was something wrong. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Then why are you staring?" His hand rubbed along her thigh as she sat upon his lap. She felt right being there.

"Because I missed you." She said honestly.

"Good…cause I missed you too."

They kept staring at the other, not knowing what else to do with this newfound time together. Neither one wanted to go out, not wanting anyone else to know that Jake was back.

So they stayed in.

She, oddly enough, cooked dinner and he told her all about how pissed his manager was when he found his artist had practically ran away. She chopped up vegetables and danced around the kitchen to the music she had put on. It was weird. They were acting like some sort of a married couple. Jake found himself fixing the shelf in the hallway as she prepared the table. Never, not once, had she done this with any of her other boyfriends.

When dinner was ready (which she managed to cook a pretty good one) the two of them sat down at the table and ate their food silently with no interruption. The realization that she had only gotten four hours of sleep came to her when a yawn caught up to her.

Jake looked up at her, smiling. "Am I boring you?"

"No." She shook her head, still in mid-yawn. "I didn't get much sleep last night. I was talking to my boyfriend all night."

"I might need to have a talk with him about keeping you up all night."

"You just might." She chuckled. "How are you still awake? Didn't you play a big show last night and then hop on a plane half way across the country?"

He shrugged, not really sure of how he was still awake. "I sleep well on planes."

She laughed, looking back down at her food. "You know…my mom used to cook this meal all the time." She said quietly once it fell silent. She didn't know why she was sharing this piece of information with him, but he seemed to be interested so she kept going. "It was her favorite. I asked her once why we have it every single week and she said, 'If I'm going to do all the cooking then we're going to have what I want'." They both laughed. "Sometimes I make this meal just to see if it could ever be as good as hers."

"Well I've never had her cooking, but this is delicious." He said taking her hand.

"After she died, my dad made pizza everyday. We got sick of the same old pepperoni so we started mixing it up. We'd make the weirdest ones like with pickles and then with peanut butter." He cringed at the thought and she laughed at his face. "They were horrible, but they made me smile. I think that's why he did it" She looked from her food back up to him. "I've never told anybody that."

He leaned over the table and kissed her because he didn't know how to say 'thank you' in any other way. He fell back in his chair and just stared at her, thinking he's met the most interesting person in the world. She had so much to tell, but kept most of it to herself. He wanted to write a song, an album, about her, but didn't want any of the world to hear because they would all know who Peyton Sawyer was.

And he was the only one that needed to know.

When they were done with dinner he helped with the dishes and she couldn't resist smearing soap all over his face. He would have fired back if he hadn't have given into those puppy dog eyes.

They eventually settled on the couch and popped in a movie.

"So what movie did you pick?" Jake asked once she sat back down on the couch beside him.

"Elizabethtown."

"Why?" He asked trying to remember the last time he ever saw the movie.

She looked at him as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Because Orlando Bloom's a fox!" He squinted at her, not sure of how to interpret that. He gave her those puppy dogs' eyes she had used on him early and she sighed telling him he was much cuter than any A-lister. He smiled a cocky grin at her and she could only smack his arm.

Sometime during the movie she snuggled closer to him, laying her head down on his chest. He stretched his arm around her and found that it landed on her upper thigh. He didn't hesitate to move and she kind of liked that.

He liked how she tapped her foot against the couch when a certain song would come on during the movie. She really was a music junkie and he found that extremely sexy. The way he rubbed his hand along her thigh hitched the breath she had and the smell of her hair was intoxicating to him. He got up once the credits started to scroll and headed for the kitchen to clean the glasses in his hand. It hurt when he realized that it was fully dark out and it was almost time for him to leave.

The phone in his pocket buzzed and before he even gave it a second thought he hit ignore. Before he knew it, hands were rubbing his chest and he let out a slight moan at the simple touch. He turned himself against the counter as she trapped him there.

"So what'd you think of the movie?" She asked.

"I like the person I was watching it with."

She kinked her brow, inching closer towards him. "Good answer." She crashed into his lips and he didn't dare argue it. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him closer as he steadied her head with his hands.

He found it irresistibly sexy when her hands trailed the edges of his chest. The way they moved to his back and back up to wrap around his neck. The fact that she knew the hairs on the back of neck were standing killed him and with her playing with them didn't make things better.

It was a simple kiss that turned into something more. He didn't fight her on it because she knew she wouldn't have done it if she didn't want to. Maybe they could've gone all the way, but they weren't. They simply weren't ready. They both knew that and weren't going to take it as far as this. It didn't matter though because this felt pretty damn good.

When air was needed, he broke away with heavy breaths as did she. "I think I better go. It's getting late." He said seeing a bit of disappointment wash over her green eyes.

"Why don't you stay for the night?" She asked hopeful.

"Peyton…" He trailed shaking his head.

She swatted his chest and let out a small laugh. "Not like that you, perv. Just stay here…with me."

That smile she threw at him stopped his heart and honestly he couldn't find any reason to say no.

So he stayed.

**

He found out, late in the night, that he didn't need sleep when he was around Peyton. She gave him the energy he needed to make it through night and day. Whether it was the smile she gave him or those eyes that he couldn't tear away from. And she noticed it to. She couldn't fall asleep if he was awake to. They wanted to spend every moment with each other even if that meant losing sleep at three in the morning.

The only light that was on was the one beside her bed, the only noise that could be heard was the laughter they shared. She rolled over to face him after setting down a glass of water she had just taken a sip of. He couldn't help but smile at her. She was so beautiful.

"What?" She asked feeling somewhat insecure with his stare.

"Nothing." He said not wanting to tear away from her beauty.

"Tell me one of your best memories ever." She said randomly.

"What?" He laughed.

"Tell me." She urged.

"Okay." He searched his brain for a story to tell. Then one hit him. "I was fourteen." He smiled. "My parents went on a second honeymoon for the week sometime during the fall and my grandfather came to watch over me. I was sitting in class one day when I got called to the office." He chuckled at what came next and so did she. "My grandpa pulled me out of school and he had a bag packed for me in the backseat of the car. We pulled onto the highway and he looks over to me and asks, 'where to, kid?' I thought he was joking so I said New York and he says, 'New York it is' and we drove."

"Your grandfather pulled you out of school and took you to New York? I don't believe it."

"It's true. We got there and got a hotel and we saw Time's Square and Central Park and anything and everything. And then we drove back with these stupid grins on our faces the whole time. We got back the day before my parents did and manage to get the call from school concerning my absence before my parents found out." He laughed shaking his head as if he still didn't believe it. "I don't think my parents even know about that week."

"That sounds great." She said tracing circles on his hand.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I just remember feeling so invincible. Like I could do anything I wanted and get away with it, you know? I…I felt like a kid. Sometimes when I'm on the road I…I try to get that feeling."

"That you're invincible?"

"Yeah." He took a moment to feel how he felt that week with his grandfather. After, he never completely felt that again. Invincible. It was a hard concept to achieve. We can all feel it, but truly invincible. We know it deep down, but like children, we don't realize it. We don't feel it until that rush of energy is brought upon us and we don't have it taken away until pain is given.

Nothing brought that feeling to him. Not playing a stage for thousands or playing a brand new song. There was one thing though, that made him feel like he was fourteen again. The feeling he got sitting in the passenger seat of his grandfather's car on the open road. Her name was Peyton.

"What about you?" He asked after awhile. "One of your best memories."

She smiled that smile that had him swooning for her and reached for his hand. "Right now."

That feeling came every time he looked into her green eyes. With each time she touched him that happy grin shined. When he heard her laugh it made him laugh because he loved it that much. And with each time they kissed he felt like he was fourteen disobeying his parents and being in a place he knew he shouldn't be.

He felt invincible with her.

**

His phone started to ring and he didn't want to wake her, and he knew he couldn't avoid it anymore. He quietly got out of bed, grabbing the vibrating phone on his way out and managed to make it downstairs without waking her.

"Hello?" He said into the receiver, kind of afraid at what was to come.

"Where the hell are you!?!" Dave's angry voice yelled at him. Jake winced, too early to be yelled at.

"Tree Hill." He simply answered.

He could hear a scoff on the other end. "Get your ass on a plane and I'll meet you in Seattle."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, I'm not going. I want to be here."

He could hear the annoyed sigh on the other end of the line and for the first time Jake actually felt bad. He knew Dave was probably getting beaten bloody by the media and the studio about where exactly Jake is. He felt bad, but he wanted to be here.

"Jake you are not five years old. You can't get everything you want."

"Dave you don't understand." He fought back. "There is a girl here that is amazing and I don't want to be away from her anymore."

"That's great. That's just great. You're going to give up this tour for a_ girl_? That's not like you."

"Maybe I've changed." Jake all but screamed into the phone.

Dave sighed, calming himself down. He didn't want to fight, not with Jake. "Look, I talked to the label and either you get on the next plane to Seattle and play tomorrow night or you're dropped. From this tour and from this label."

"They can't do that." Could they? He couldn't believe it. Everything he worked so hard for was about to be taken away from him. This was his dream and the people that helped him get here were about to pull it out from under him.

"They can. It's your decision. So what is it Jake?"

"I don't know!" He yelled, forgetting Peyton was upstairs. "I need time to think."

Dave didn't necessarily like that answer but he knew Jake would make the best choice for him. "There's a plane ticket waiting for you at the airport. It leaves tonight. Do the right thing Jake."

"Alright." He said barely able to find his voice. "Bye Dave." He dropped the phone from his hand hopelessly. The weight of his arm became too much for him, so it just hung there, not sure if he could move it. His eyes stayed fixated on the floor as he tried to find some way to stay and keep his job at the same time, but nothing came.

He wanted to stay, he did, but everything he had ever worked for was a plane ride away. He didn't like that feeling of having his dream slip through his fingers, but another part of him believed if he did let go of it all it wouldn't be that bad. He'd still have Peyton.

But he still questioned it all.

"Jake…" The somewhat broken voice pulled him from his thoughts. Jake turned to see Peyton in the archway of the kitchen. He didn't know she was even awake or if she heard the last of that conversation or how much of it. "Who was that?" She asked even though she knew. She heard him say Dave's name before hanging up and she swore she felt her stomach drop.

He looked to the phone as if that would give him an answer and back up to Peyton. "That was Dave."

It still hurt all the same when she heard his manager's name. Her hopes of spending time with her boyfriend were always shot when he received a call from Dave. Dave was the one that always took him away from her. She knew he was only doing his job, but she couldn't help but hate him all the same.

"When are you leaving?"

It hit him like a ton of bricks at how well she knew that dreaded phone call. But this time was different. Before he didn't have a choice and would be ready to hop on the next flight out, but now he was really thinking about giving it all up.

"Peyton…" He shook his head trying to find the right words to explain the situation exactly. He took a step forward and she took two back and it hurt to see that she was practically scared to be near him.

"When?" She demanded to know.

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "There's a plane leaving tonight."

"Tonight." She repeated.

"Peyton let me explain." He stepped forward seeing as she was already jumping to conclusions in her mind. He couldn't have that. He couldn't have any that.

"Jake, I'm really tired of this." She stated bluntly. He stopped in his tracks immediately. He wasn't sure if she meant this relationship or him.

"What?" He questioned.

"I'm tired." She said again this time fighting off a tidal wave of tears coming after her. "Of you leaving for weeks at a time. Of these two in the morning phone calls and only having you for one day!" She started screaming. "I'm tired of you saying you'll be back soon when you don't even though. And I'm tired of this type of relationship."

"Well what do you want from me Peyton?"

"I want you to be here!"

"I can't always be here." He yelled for some reason. He wanted her to know that he really couldn't. It was impossible for him. "I'm a musician, Peyton. I travel all the time. I can't always be here, but I try."

He saw a few tears fall from her eyes and it took everything in him to not run over and wipe them away. "It doesn't seem like it lately."

"I never said this would be easy Peyton." He whispered out loud enough for her to hear.

"Yeah, well, you never said it would be hard either."

"What did you expect?" He questioned even though he didn't expect an answer. "This isn't easy for me either Peyton. It kills me when I see the sparkle your eyes hold leave when I do. When I hear how broken you sound over the phone is…it just isn't easy."

She sighed, tearing her eyes away from his. She was sure hers held the same brokenness his did and somewhere deep down she knew he was right about it all.

"I can't do this kind of relationship Jake. I don't know how. I barely know how to do a normal one let alone be a rockstar's girlfriend."

Finally he closed the gap between them. His hands steadied her face and she let the tears fall where they may because he was the only one she truly felt comfortable crying in front of. He understood her pain and never had to push for details. That's what she liked about him.

"I'm just asking you to be with me and maybe love me." He said looking her straight in the eye.

She had to second glance him just to make sure she heard correctly. He loved her and she wanted to say it back and he saw that she did, but that fear she had, whatever that may be, kept her from saying it. Maybe it was this whole situation or the way this relationship had started and how it was going that kept her hidden feelings. He saw that and this was one thing he wasn't going to let her keep in.

"Because I do. I love you Peyton. There's no ifs, ands, or buts. There's no this or that or silver lining. There's just I love you." His hands fell from his grasp down to his sides and he shrugged his shoulders. "And if that's not good enough for you then maybe I'm not."

"Jake…" She shook her head, still crying. "I need you to go." She struggled out. She really couldn't find exactly what else to say. She knew there had to be something and she knew what it was, but her fear kept her from saying it and the only thing else that could fill it was that.

It hurt though when he heard her tell him to leave. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. "I just…I need time to process this. This is too much."

He nodded in understanding. He understood that she was scared and had this ridiculous notion that he didn't mean what he said. But it was true. Every last word of it.

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll go. But I'm coming back later. I'm going to go to my hotel room and grab a few things and then I'm going to come back here and prove to you exactly how much I love you."

He didn't say _good-bye_ or _see you later_. He just walked out the door and Peyton watched from where she stood. She didn't try to stop him or yell out his name. She just stood there.

And then he closed the door.

If it wasn't for the wall she had been leaning on, she was sure her legs would have gone out. She slid down to the floor and just sat there as tears streamed down her puffy cheeks.

These past twenty-four hours hit her hard. He came, he stayed, and he left.

But he said he was coming back.

She didn't know if that was supposed to make her happy or dread the near future conversation. The question of does she break up with him or not came to mind and her first thought was_ no_.

The real question of mind was _did she love him or not?_

It was noon when she heard her phone ring. She still hadn't moved from her spot on the floor, her tears had been wiped away long ago, but that didn't make the red puffy face disappear. Jake still hadn't shown up and she was really beginning to wonder if he was coming back. She didn't think Jake would lie to her.

She ignored the call, not wanting to talk to anyone especially Brooke, who was probably calling right now. And even if it was Haley or Nathan or her dad, she still didn't want to talk to them or anyone. Maybe even Jake. Maybe especially Jake.

When the ringing stopped a knock at her door came and she didn't put two and two together that the person on the phone could possibly be the person on the other side of her door. She just hoped it was Jake.

She checked herself in the mirror, seeing if she looked presentable. Her tear stained face and bloodshot eyes weren't something she wanted him to see. But it didn't really matter.

When her hand touched the doorknob she couldn't help but feel a pinch of happiness just to see him and then she thought of all the times she felt that with him. With every phone call and text it always came.

And in that moment she felt pretty sure of herself.

But when she swung open the door she wasn't met with the brown haired, brown eyed man she was expecting. Instead she was met with a pair of blue eyes.

"Lucas…"


	8. Free

**_[Own Nothing]_**

Sorry it's so short :]

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**Chapter Eight: Free**

_For me it ain't easy to always agree/For me it ain't easy to just let it be/For me it ain't as you can see/ For me it ain't I just want to be free_

**

When her hand touched the doorknob she couldn't help but feel a pinch of happiness just to see him and then she thought of all the times she felt that with him. With every phone call and text it always came.

And in that moment she felt pretty sure of herself.

But when she swung open the door she wasn't met with the brown haired, brown eyed man she was expecting. Instead she was met with a pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Lucas…"

"Can I come in?" Lucas asked when Peyton didn't say anything else after his name. He couldn't help but smile at her shocked expression.

"What are you doing here?"

His hand found the back of his neck as he began to stammer, a nervous habit he had had since he was a kid. "I, I need to talk to you."

"Lucas now is really not the best time." She sighed wondering exactly where the hell Jake is.

She was ready to slam the door in his face, but Lucas had other plans. He stormed in and began to pace her living room leaving a confused Peyton in the doorway.

"What the hell…"

"Can I just…" He trailed with pleading eyes. She reluctantly nodded knowing it must be something big if he was here frantically pacing her living room. He sighed, keeping his eyes down to the floor. She saw his nervousness and couldn't honestly remember the last time she saw him like this. It was awhile ago. Before they started dated. When his place was on the Rivercourt and hers was…not. His eyes held that lonely look, kind of like how hers used to, but they both had changed. He became popular and more confident and she was just different now.

Finally he met her eyes and she could tell he looked scared. "I found out today that I have HCM." He said loud enough for her to hear. He knew she didn't know what that was and so he explained it before she could ask. "It's a heart condition. It basically means if I overwork myself I could have a heart attack…or possibly die."

In the midst of it all, he still loved how her eyes held that concern for him. How he could just tell she still cared for him.

"I'm sorry Lucas." She said after awhile.

"Yeah." He nodded. "But you see…when I found out how fragile my heart is it made me realize how easily it could be broken. And I thought of you and how I broke yours and how it was a mistake to break up with you."

"Oh." It was all she could say. He didn't come here to tell her about his heart condition. He came here to get her back.

He stepped forward, only inches away from her, close enough to kiss, but controlled himself so he wouldn't. "I want to be with you Peyton."

"Lucas…" She shook her head, trying to back away but the wall caught her.

"I was wrong when I broke up with you. There's more to us than just a friendship and I…and I love you." He sighed, the smile she used to love coming to his face.

He reached out for her hand but she pulled away and got as far away from him as she could. She couldn't believe he was doing this. So he had a fatal heart condition. So what? That didn't give him the right to walk up into her house declaring his love for her.

"You can't do this." She said walking away from him. "You can't come here and tell me this big news about your heart and then say that you love me. You can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Because…because you're the reason why we're having this conversation right now! You broke up with me like it was nothing. You annoyed me for weeks about wanting to be my friend and then you show up saying you want to be with me. You can't do that." She frantically tried to clear her mind. For weeks she cried over Lucas and wanted him back. And here he was standing in her house saying he wanted her back.

And she was telling him no.

For the first time she was the controller of this relationship (if you could call it that). She was turning him down. But why? If she loved him so much then why not take him back? She was fighting with Jake and here was Lucas declaring his love for her. Why not?

Because she didn't love Lucas.

Because in that moment she realized she loved Jake.

"I'm pretty sure you need to leave Lucas." She said walking towards the door.

"Pretty sure?" He smirked recalling one of their earliest conversations.

She sighed. "Go Lucas. I don't love you anymore more." She smiled because it was the first time she ever said out loud. And it felt great.

"Peyton…" He walked towards her with this great speech on the top of his head that she was sure he had for her. But it didn't matter. He didn't matter anymore.

"It's Jake." She said suddenly, stopping Lucas in his tracks. "It's not you."

"It can't work Peyton. The two of you can't work. He's always on the road and you're here. We can work Peyton. Not you and him."

She kept her eyes away from him. He was probably too. She and Jake most likely couldn't work while she and Lucas could do it easily. But that was the thing with Peyton Sawyer. She didn't like things easy. She wanted to be with Jake, not Lucas. She loved Jake. And she would try to make things work with him just as long as he loved her back.

"Good-bye Lucas." She said opening the door just so she could slam it once he was gone.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't convince her of this right now. But he loved Peyton. They were meant to be together. She might not know it, but he did. Before she could shut the door he turned back to her and said the words that would always give her chills.

"Peyton," He caught her eyes. "I'll be seeing ya."

She shut the door quietly with no response and leaned up against it for support.

The expression didn't give her chills like it used to.

_**_

He expected her to call him after he left. Like she used to after he would spend the night with her. He could make it out to his car before she was calling his cell and telling him to come back for breakfast. He never got past the driveway.

Today he got all the way to the Rivercourt.

The thing with Peyton Sawyer is that she isn't just a girl. She was the girl with a mess of curls and the brightest green eyes you would ever see. She was like the mystery flavor candy. She was either really sweet or bitter. It was a lot like playing the lottery. You weren't sure you were going to win her heart or not.

Her moods changed like the seasons. Hot and cold. Hot and cold. Warm and cool. You're either on her good side or not.

She was a lot like a box of snakes. You're most likely to get bit if you reach in.

But that was what attracted him to her. There was just something about her eyes to the way she swayed her hips to just being an all around bitch. He wanted to know why. Why she was the way she was. What possessed her to be this girl he fell in love with.

He first saw her when he was seven. Talked to her when she was ten (she practically yelled at him to go away). And fell in love with her when she told him he didn't know her when they were sixteen. He always knew her.

At least he believes he did.

"Hey you."

He looked up at the dimpled smile Brooke Davis gave him. Brooke Davis. She was something. They had been through a lot in the past year. Mostly because of that love triangle from hell. He broke her heart when he called things off with her to go after Peyton.

How could he not? Peyton said she wanted everything with him.

She sat down beside him, not even asking if he wanted company or not. "I was driving by. You looked a little lonely…and a little broody." She threw in. He grinned at his nickname for her. But his mind still stuck to Peyton. "Penny for your thoughts?"

His hands ran over his face as a frustrated groan popped from the bottom of his throat. Why did things have to be so difficult?

"She's with Jake." He said as if it just now processed in his mind.

"I know." She said softly. She knew it still hurt him to see the two of them together. She didn't really understand why though. He broke up with her. But she moved on faster.

"I went by there today." Her head shot in his direction. She knew Jake was back and she wondered if there were dead bodies after that encounter. "I told her I love her and that I wanted her back."

"Lucas…" She shook her head.

"I'm gonna get her back Brooke." He looked over to her with such determination in his eyes she almost hated to turn him down.

"No you're not."

His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to defend his statement but he couldn't think of anything to say.

Brooke sighed. "She loves him Lucas."

"But, but it, it can't work." He stammered. "He's a rockstar."

"But she's Peyton. And she loves him. And she's happy." She explained and it all seemed so simple after that. "Isn't that what you want for her?"

He didn't tear away from her hazel eyes. "I want her to be with me. She used to be happy with me."

"But now it's with Jake." She shrugged.

Brooke was right. Peyton wasn't happy with him anymore and he had to let her go. So he did. He let go of that ridiculous notion that they were meant to be together and were this epic love story. Because they weren't. Jake might not be Peyton's one, but he is someone's.

He hurt her. She didn't deserve it, but he did it anyway. It amazed him how he could hurt so many people that meant so much to him like it was nothing.

He looked over to Brooke and they locked eyes like two kids with twisted feelings. "I'm sorry Brooke…for everything." She nodded understanding his apology and why he was doing it. "Did it hurt?"

"Like hell."

"I'm sorry." He looked back to the worn basketball goal in front of him. It just now hit him. The actions he's done for the past couple of months. He broke two women's hearts. He thinks, for a split second, that he might be becoming Dan. The thing he's always tried not to be. "Joining the Ravens was probably one of the worst things I ever did." He says randomly figuring that's when it all started.

She looks over to quickly and confused. "No it wasn't." she assures. "Look at all the great things that have happened since then Lucas. Look at the people's lives that _you've_ changed."

"I've done nothing."

"If you wouldn't have joined the Ravens then Nathan and Haley would have never met. You would still be this broody little outsider that thought of himself as nothing. You wouldn't have gotten to know your brother or met Peyton or me." She says bumping his shoulder as if it was a joke. He knows she's right.

He finds it's a real pleasure to know Brooke Davis. She's funny and passionate and just a little troubled. She's changed since that triangle ended and it's definitely for the better. He likes the better. He likes every part of her.

He's not thinking about Peyton anymore and he forgets that the girl even exists. He's just looking into Brooke's hazel eyes and he remembers why he went after her in the first place.

So he kisses her.

**

You know the expression _the best things in life are free_? Well that expression is true. Love, and dreams, and life itself. It's all free, waiting for you to reach out and grab a handful of it. Sometimes we don't, we only take bits and pieces of what we thing is good enough for us, but it's not. We're afraid that if we take too much then it will disappear and our heart will be left broken…again.

There's nothing wrong with getting a handful.

It's sitting right in front of you and all you have to do is reach out and grab it.

She's had a revelation. One that has her declaring her love for Jake and not Lucas. She wants to scream it from the rooftops, but she constrains herself. Instead she waits for him to come back and she feels like it's been hours since he left. Like it's the longest, and most important, thing she's ever waited for.

And it is.

The thoughts of his smile and big doe eyes fill her mind. The spot in his neck that's reserved just for her. And the way he laughs that can bring her out of a bad mood within second. She's sure that she loves him. It's official.

"If my hopes could bring you home you'd be with me here now." The sudden voice that she knew so well came from the doorway. And she knew where that quote came from. It was her first email to him. At the time, she felt strange expressing her liking (or loving?) for him so quickly, but she sure is happy she did because it makes him look a lot sexier.

She turned to face him and the smile on her face confused him. She was supposed to be mad at him, not smiling, but she wasn't showing in sign of saying anything so he continued.

"This is my phone bill." He held up a piece of paper that Peyton just now noticed was in his hands. "It shows all the times I've called you at all hours of the day and it's a lot." He chuckles. "And these are three plane tickets that I've bought and never used." He stepped towards her to hand them to her. She took them but didn't look at hem, she didn't have to. "They're all to Tree Hill."

He opened his mouth to finish his little speech, but Peyton lunged forward and kissed him hard. She couldn't stand there and wait for him to finish. He didn't need a big speech to show her how much he loved her. She already knew. And she knew she loved him, she was convinced before he even walked through the door.

"So you're not mad?" He chuckled into her lips when she pulled away.

"I love you." She responded.

"I love you too."


	9. Neverland

**_[Own Nothing]_**

Sorry I'm late on updating. Not sure when the next chapter is going to be around. I'm having a bit of trouble writing it. But for now here's chapter nine for you so enjoy!

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**Chapter Nine: Neverland**

_I think I'm going insane while she licks my neck/I don't want to stop don't think we can/Meet me at the top we'll jump in Neverland_

When she was a little girl, Peyton used to imagine what her prom would be like. She would wear a beautiful gown with her hair in curls and she'd be with the perfect guy. As she got older the dream faded day by day and she began thinking about other things. But now, as she stood here in her prom dress with her hair curls and the perfect guy waiting for her downstairs, she felt like a little girl again.

"P. Sawyer will you hurry up and get your skinny ass out here!" Brooke yelled from her bedroom. The two had been planning prom since the day they met, it was only natural that they'd get ready together. Peyton checked herself in the mirror once again. Her mother's white dress made her skin glow. Her pearly whites matched her blonde hair and she just looked all around happy.

"Wow." Brooke praised as soon as she saw Peyton emerge from her bathroom. "Peyton you look hot."

"Thanks. You look great too." Peyton said motioning to Brooke's stunning red dress.

"Do you think Felix will like it?"

"I think the last thing on Felix's mind tonight is the color of your dress." She laughed earning a glare from Brooke.

Brooke turned back to stuffing things into her tiny bag. "I can't believe we're going to prom. I mean, I know we've always talked about it, but here we are."

Peyton looked at her through the mirror and caught her eye. "Seems like just yesterday your mom was yelling at us for playing dress-up with her dresses and breaking her heels.

"She was so mad at you." Brooke laughed along with her friend.

"It was fun though." Peyton finished applying the rest of her makeup and Brooke did a once-over of herself in the mirror before grabbing her things. "Well, Brooke Davis, are you ready for prom?" Peyton asked with a wide smile latching her arm with Brooke's.

"Of course."

**

The two men sat in Peyton's living room quietly waiting for their dates to come down. They both wore identical tuxes and had a corsage in their hands.

"So you're like this big time rockstar, right?" Felix asked looking over to Jake with a smug grin. "I bet you catch a lot of ass with that career."

"It's not like that."

"Oh come one man." He bumped shoulders with Jake's. "You can tell me. I won't tell. I get it. You get lonely on the road. Peyton's not there. You got to find someone to hit." He laughed.

Jake scoffed. "You have no idea what you're talking about." He looked over to the merely high school boy sitting next to him and can't help but hate the guy. "You sure you should be talking like that when Brooke's just upstairs?"

"That's not the type of relationship me and Brooke have."

Jake was ready to question his statement. Ask him what that meant and why he was leading Brooke on this way. He wanted to talk to Brooke and ask her why she chose such a jerk to be with. She could do so much better.

But then he heard footsteps and the next thing he saw was his beautiful girl gliding down the stairs. The two men stood, each with a smile on their face, and walked over to meet the two girls.

"You look…stunning." Jake admired placing the corsage on Peyton's wrist.

She smiled. "You don't look half bad yourself."

She had a feeling this would be a great night.

**

It was simple. Peyton's prom. There was no extravagant theme or big band playing. It was nice…just the way she wanted it.

They walked in and everyone (to Peyton) just seemed to stop and stare. She never imagined going to prom with a rockstar, but here she was. Jake looked over to her and smiled. She grabbed his hand and moved to the dance floor.

Brooke and Felix found their own little spots with some other of her friends and Peyton didn't bother to go over and say hi. She just wanted to be with Jake for the night.

They danced to a few songs and laughed to a few jokes. He couldn't keep his eyes off the way her dress fit in all the right places and she didn't miss the looks he threw all night. She wanted to give him the promise of later, but wasn't sure of exactly how he would feel about that. Was it too soon for them?

She saw he was questioning it to and was ready to call him out on it until she heard her friend's yells.

They weren't even half way into their prom when Peyton and Jake heard Brooke call Felix an 'asshole pig' in her words. Everyone's head whipped over to see Brooke's flustered face make her way towards the exit why Felix just stood their with that same smirk.

Peyton went to go after her friend, but Jake stopped her. "I got this." He assured her before going off to find Brooke. Peyton loved how he took care of her friends even though he didn't know them that well.

Left alone, Peyton went to find her other friends. She saw Lucas with that Anna girl and, to her, he looked just a little more broody than usual. She assumed it was because of her. She caught the eye of Haley and she waved her over.

"Hey Sawyer." Nathan said once he saw the curly blonde sit down next to his wife.

"Hey Nate. Having fun?"

"Prom's really not his thing." Haley chuckled glancing over at his already untied bow and lazily posture. Peyton had to laugh to.

"I'm gonna go get something to drink. You ladies want anything?" Both Haley and Peyton shook their heads and Nathan was off.

"So I saw Jake went to go console Brooke." Haley said.

"He's kind of amazing, right?" She teased. Haley rolled her eyes and fidgeted with the ring on her finger, keeping her eyes away from Peyton. "You alright?"

"Yeah."

"Haley." She arched her brow. Haley still kept her distance. "Is this about Chris?"

"You didn't hear?" Peyton shook her head, confused at what Haley was getting at. "I can't believe he didn't tell you." She sighed.

"What?" She asked annoyingly.

"I really shouldn't tell you."

"Haley!"

"Jake went down to the studio the other day and punched Chris. He told him to stay away from me and he was gonna help me with my music."

Peyton couldn't form the words she wanted to say. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she was angry or happy. Probably the latter. Definitely the latter.

"He did?" She asked, just for confirmation, a smile gracing her lips.

"Yeah." Haley nodded.

"Okay, then if that's not bothering you then what is?"

Peyton watched as Haley tried to search her mind for the right words to explain this with. It didn't help; it only freaked her out more.

"I'm pregnant." She said just loud enough for Peyton to hear.

"Haley…that's, that's great."

"No it's not!"" She said frantically. "I'm still in high school. I can't be pregnant. I, I…and Nathan…"

"Is going to be thrilled."

"Peyton, you don't understand."

"Haley," She reached for her friend's hand, "it's going to be okay. This is a blessing, trust me. And I want you to know that I'm going to be here, and Jake, and Brooke. We'll help you."

"I haven't told Nathan yet."

"You need to."

"I just don't know how he's going to feel."

"Well just look at it this way, if Nathan has a problem with it, Jake will kick his ass until he doesn't anymore." Peyton said causing Haley to laugh.

**

"Brooke?" Jake called out, walking down the hallways of the school. "Brooke?" He heard crying further down the hall and did everything but run towards the noise. He rounded a corner and found Brooke sitting on the floor, in her now ruined red dress, crying. "Brooke."

"Just go away Jake."

Jake ignored her and sat down next to her. They looked so out of place in his fancy suit and her in her beautiful gown.

"I saw what happened." He simply said, not pushing for information.

"I think the whole school did." She stated obviously.

"Brooke, this guy is no need to cry over. He's not worth it." He looked over to her, but her eyes were still planted to the tiles on the floor.

"It still hurts."

"It shouldn't. Hey," He looked her in the eye, "tomorrow the sun's gonna come out and the world's gonna keep moving and you, Brooke Davis, are gonna wake up with a smile on your face, happy that you don't have a jackass in your life anymore." She chuckled and he smiled. "And you wanna know why?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Because you're better than any guy like him."

"I just wish it was so simple."

"What?"

"Finding someone that you really love." She said looking over to Jake. "It looks easy, but for me it's hard as hell. I look at Nathan and Haley and you and Peyton and I want that forever love."

"You think me and Peyton have forever love?" He asked having her words hit him. He kind of thought that about the two of them too.

"Yeah."

"Brooke you're only in high school. Not everyone finds their soulmates in high school. Sometimes you have to go out there and look." She nodded and the tears stopped and she wiped them away, not worrying about her makeup.

"And Brooke," He caught her eye again, "you got to let people in. So a few people have broken your heart," He shrugged, "get up, glue it back together, and get back out there."

He stood up and held out his hand for her. Normally she would protest his last statement, but he was right. She took his hand and pulled herself up.

"And who knows," He threw his arm around her shoulder, playfully, "maybe the right guy is here tonight…or maybe he's out in that big ol' world."

She lightly shoved chuckling to his words. He laughed and playfully shoved her back.

They entered the gym again and both caught Peyton's eye. Brooke threw him a wink and thanked him before she went off to have her own fun, while Jake met his girl.

"Hey you." She said meeting him up on the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her and slowly swayed to the music.

"Hi." His husky voice heavy in her ear.

"So I hear you're not my knight in shining armor anymore." She arched her brow.

"Well Brooke needed help and I wanted to be a bit of assistance." He shrugged.

"I wasn't talking about that, but thank you by the way." She said. "I was talking about what you did for Haley. I can't believe you punched Chris."

"That was more for my enjoyment." He laughed.

She laughed and ducked her head, hating herself for blushing. "I feel a little left out. You're off helping everyone and little ol' me is left here standing." He saw she was joking and rolled his eyes.

"Baby, I'm always gonna be there for you. No matter what."

"Good."

Her head landed on his chest and they continued to dance along to the music. From the corner of her eye she could see Nathan and Haley dancing too and Peyton thought about telling Jake, but decided against once she realized it wasn't her secret to tell.

"Have you heard anything from Dave?" She asked randomly once songs switched.

"No." He answered his smile fading. "I guess he was telling the truth."

"I'm sorry Jake."

"It's not your fault."

"But I feel like it is. I mean, I'm the reason you stayed. I'm the reason you gave up your dream."

"Hey," He stopped her, "it was my decision. And if I had to make it again we'd still be standing here. I love you Peyton."

"I love you too, but…"

"There are no buts." He interrupted her. "Now I've done a lot for that label, maybe…maybe they really won't drop me. I don't know. All I know is that I'm here with you and there's no where I'd rather be. It's your night Peyton, so let's live it up."

"You mean that?" She said looking into his brown eyes. He nodded. "Come on." She moved around him, grabbing his hand and heading for the exit. He didn't question her command. He just followed.

He'd go anywhere with her.

**

_He kissed her. He's not supposed to kiss her. She wasn't the one he wanted; it was Peyton, not Brooke. He broke her heart and they were just friends. But god, she couldn't deny that she loved that kissed._

_And he loved the feeling her lips rubbing his lips and that scent of strawberry he remembers so well. His lips were still as soft and sensitive as they were when he first kissed her. And maybe in that short kiss she fell in love with him all over again._

_But she couldn't do this._

_This was her best friend's ex boyfriend._

_Brooke pulled away as soon as her best friend came to mind. "Why'd you do that?" She asked staring into his blue eyes._

"_I don't know." He answers honestly._

"_You can't do that. You're Peyton's ex boyfriends." She's shaking her head frantically like she's just made the worst mistake ever._

"_Hence the ex."_

"_We can't do this, Lucas. We just can't." She stands up from the table and began walking back towards her car. He didn't follow after her or call out her name. He just watched her go._

_It's the second time that day he's been turned down by a girl._

Over time, his place on the Rivercourt has faded. It's become less and less his. Kids, other than him and the boys, began to play there. Nathan plays here. Peyton used to come and watch him.

And now as he sits here in his tuxedo, watching as Brooke walks towards him in her red prom dress in the middle of the night he realizes how this place isn't just his anymore. It held a special place in all their hearts.

"Hi." Brooke greeted her arms wrapped nervously around her midsection. He could tell she was scared and she came here of all the places. The one place she knew he'd be. He wasn't sure whether to smile at that or not.

"Hey." He perked up. "Where's Felix?"

She gave him a small smile before taking the spot next to him on top of the picnic table. "We're kind of done. We are done." She corrected and for the first time she felt sure of herself.

Her gaze averted to Lucas and he had that knowing smirk on his face. "Good for you Brooke."

"Yeah." She whispered quietly while staring up at the cloudy night sky. The two looked so out of place in their fancy wear on this warm night. And here they were at midnight, not at prom having the time of their lives like they were supposed to be, but here on the Rivercourt.

"Lucas about the other night…"

"I get it Brooke." He interrupted before the excuse train came rolling in. But that was the thing. He didn't get it.

"I just…I want to be with you to Lucas." The words flowed so easily now. She had wanted to say that since the day he started going with Peyton. But she could never find the right way, or time or courage to do it. "But I don't want to be the rebound girl."

"You wouldn't be the rebound girl."

"Lucas, look at the timing. You break up with Peyton; you try to get her back, she turns you down so you kiss me. I'm not that girl. Not anymore."

He reached over and grabbed her hand. She clashed with his eyes and the world just seemed to stop. "I never thought of you as that girl, but if you need time to think about this, take all the time you need. You know where to find me." He smirked, bumping his shoulder into hers. If he was being honest, the timing truly was strange. He wasn't completely over Peyton yet and it'd probably be awhile before he really would be.

But Brooke looked so beautiful. And he knew in his heart that he wanted to be with her. He wanted her to give him another chance and he promised he wouldn't mess it up this time. He never expected to be with anyone except Peyton, but Brooke was…well she was Brooke. Beautiful and brave, strong and so sure of herself. Her dimpled smile made Lucas' heart melt and right now he just wanted to be with her.

And if she wanted to wait for awhile and think it over than he would wait for her.

**

She decided on her red bedroom instead of his hotel room. She loved him and everything, but she didn't want their first time to be in a hotel room on prom night.

"Peyton." He says between kisses along her neck as she unlocked the door to her house. She turned the key and then back to him and before he could say anything she was dragging him in and slamming the door.

Upstairs and down the hall is where they find themselves. She's reaching for the buttons on his shirt and he can't stop kissing her. Not caring about her dress, Jake lays her down on the bed and sends soft kisses along her jaw.

"Jake." She says after a slight moan leaves her mouth.

He arches up to meet her eyes that's staring him down.

"I love you too Peyton." He says knowing that's all she wants to say, but is too wrapped up in him to do so.

He dives down and meets her lips again and the only thought in her head is being with him. Nothing else matters because she loves him. And the way he touches her and talks to her and holds her gently is everything that sends her head over heels for him.

His hand's on her thigh and every part of him wants to be touching her, wants to be closer to her, every part of him wants to be with her. She's kissing along his neck and down his chest. She's digging her nails into his back and he loves every second of it.

It's not_ just_ sex for them. He loves her and she loves him.


	10. Hmmm

**_[Own Nothing]_**

Wow don't I feel like crap. So sorry I haven't updated in a while. Winter plus school is really not the best time to write for me. But Christmas break is coming up, so maybe all write a lot and finish up this story. Maybe, maybe not. This chapter is just a bit of fluff so bear with me.

And whatever you celebrate and if I don't update next week - **HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

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**Chapter Ten: Hmmm**

_Let these moments last an eternity_

She's decided her life is perfect. It's early in the morning, early, a time when she's usually angrier than you'd like, but when she turns over and sees his sleeping body beside her she's not angry. She's perfect.

"Hi." She says once his eyes flutter open. The smile she's been wearing for a few days now is still on her lips and the only thing covering their naked bodies is the blanket.

"Morning." He says adjusted to the light. His hand lands on hers and he swears her smile couldn't get any bigger.

"So last night was kind of…" She trails trying to find the exact word. His brow furrows when she does and she has to laugh at it, "great."

"Kind of?"

She nods. "You were lucky to make top ten, buddy." She teases smacking her hand against his chest. Peyton turns to get out of bed, wrapping the blanket around her as she reaches for his shirt.

"Thanks." Jake says staring at her naked back and he's disappointed when she covers it up. But then he sees she's wearing his shirt and he can't think of a better person to wear his clothes. Last night was perfect in every way. He's been with women and he's been in love. But never at the same time. She drives him crazy in the best way possible. She's everything he needs.

She catches him staring and blushes. He can't find anything sexier than that. "What?"

"Nothing." He shakes his head. "You're just perfect."

"Stop."

"It's true!"

Peyton climbs back on the bed to kiss him, because she just wanted to. "Breakfast?" She suggests smiling into his lips.

"Hmm…hell yes." He growls.

"Follow me." She grabs his hand and lets him grab his boxers before dragging him downstairs. She sits him at the table before going to get the newspaper. He teases her about the neighbors seeing her in just his shirt and she honestly couldn't care more. Peyton fixes him breakfast – cereal and eggs – and he has to poke fun. She says it's all she knows how, that and her mom's favorite meal. But Jake eats it anyway and loves every bit of it.

He's pretty sure it's the girl that made the food instead of the food.

"So what do you want to do today?" Peyton asks taking his bowl and throwing it in the dishwasher.

He comes up from behind and wraps his arms around her, placing gentle kisses along her neck. "Let's just stay in today." He suggests.

She couldn't think of a better plan.

So they stay in. They've found a habit of isolated themselves from the outside world. They don't need anybody else.

He follows her back up to her room and they find themselves back in that bed and then she finds herself in the shower (somewhere along the way he finds his way in there too) and then back in that bed. He's tracing circles on the section of her stomach that neither her shirt or shorts cover. He finds it incredibly sexy. He finds everything about this girl sexy. Her curly blonde hair to her chewed on fingernails. There's no negative to her.

They lay in that bed for what feels like hours. He ignores the calls that are blowing up his phone and she decides to turn off her phone after the third text from Brooke. It's probably selfish. But they want the day to themselves. So they're going to get it.

She gets up once to change a song saying it's only suitable and is soon quickly back beside him on her side of the bed running her fingers through his hair.

He's great. All the way from his brown eyes to the way his fingers run down her legs. She's intrigued by him. There's something new about him she learns with each passing day. He's a mystery, but she gets the feeling that she knows plenty about him to know that she loves him like she's never loved anyone before.

It's hard to believe that it's only been a few months since they started dating and they've come to…this. Peyton has a boyfriend that she sees herself spending a lot of time with in the future. She's not the angsty cheerleader she used to be. She's letting go and living and having fun. He's right there beside her through it all.

"What?" Jake asks when he notices her staring.

"Tell me about your parents." Peyton randomly asks. He's not sure where the question came from. He's never brought up his parents. Didn't like to, didn't plan on it.

"Why?" He asks almost chuckling.

"Because we never talk about them. I just want to know what they're like."

He sighs adjusting himself for an awkward conversation, wrapping his arm around her. "Well…my mom's a saint." He smiles. "She…did anything to please you. Always supported her mama's boy." They both laugh. She can picture him being a mama's boy.

"And your dad?" She asks looking up at him.

"Hmm." He makes a face that's not too pleasant and she knows it's probably not a too pleasant relationship. "He's…something. Not a good something either."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He always wanted me to be a lawyer and go to law school. My heart wasn't in it. So one day I went to my counselor, told him I was dropping out of college, grabbed my guitar and went to the corner." He says with the widest smile he could fit.

"Bet he hated that."

"Oh he was furious." He laughed, as did she. "I went home that day and told them. Basically he kicked me out before the words 'I quit' were out of my mouth. Haven't talked to him since."

"That sucks." She says laying her hand on his bare chest. She reaches up kisses him on the cheek just because she feels he needs it. "And your mom?"

"I talked to her about once a week. She always knew I didn't want to be a lawyer and knew one day I was just gonna give it all up for something I really wanted. Of course she supports me."

"Yeah." She whispers.

He looks down her and just smiles, because she's glad she cares so much about these people she's never met, but feels like she knows. "Hey," He says making her look up at him, "don't do that."

"What?"

"Pout and then go off into that deep thinking thing you do." He said. He knew her so well. "It's not your fault Peyton."

"I know, but I couldn't imagine not ever talking to my dad. It's kind of sad."

"Hey, he made the choice, not me. And it's not like I never gave an effort to rebuild that relationship." She nodded, digging herself closer to him. "Quit pouting. Tell me a happy story."

"Hmm." She sighed adjusting herself to get more comfortable. Plenty of happy memories floated around in her mind. Random kid moments with her and Brooke, cherished times with her mom, and recollections of not too long ago with her father. "I was eight." She said with a smile.

"It was the first Christmas without my mom and my dad knew I wasn't going to be in the holiday spirit, so he tried to make everything as normal as possible. Since Christmas wasn't a big thing at her house, Brooke came over the night before and we tried to stay up all night to catch Santa, but of course we fell asleep." They both laughed. It wasn't too long ago when she still believed in Santa. It feels like forever ago.

"We woke up the next morning to find all these presents under the tree. My dad even bought some for Brooke. We spent that whole morning opening presents and eating pizza."

"Pizza? On Christmas?"

"We're not the traditional family."

"Right." He laughed pulling her closer. He could imagine a curly haired eight year old Peyton opening presents on Christmas morning. He liked the idea of one day watching their own curly haired kid do it. Something about this girl had him thinking about so far off into the future with her. He thought of weddings and kids and just being together in the future.

"You know, you're dad sounds pretty great Peyton." Jake said glancing down at her.

"He is. I still can't believe you haven't met him yet." She said leaning up, one hand on his chest the other supporting her. "He practically had a heart attack when I told him I was dating a rockstar."

Jake chuckled leaning up too. "Yeah, but, I'm not the rockstar kind of guy."

"True, but only me and my friends know that. Other than that you're sleeping with models and overdosing on crack." They both laughed before Jake leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.

"You're dad's gonna love me. Who wouldn't?"

She groaned. "You got me." She said before kissing him again and falling back on the bed.

**

She could hear the strings of his guitar putting together a piece of art from downstairs.

Peyton was wearing only his shirt for the second time that day. She loved how it smelled of him and when she gave it back it would have a part of her on it.

She loved how he was so excited to meet her dad. Lucas necessarily wasn't. Though he nearly 'raked' him to death. But with Jake? He was exactly the guy you could bring home to daddy. Minus the rockstar personal.

She loved how he didn't live up to it though. He was nothing what magazines portrayed of him. He was sweet and charming. He seemed like the one to be lucky to be seen with her, not the other way around.

She loved how she never tired of him. How time seemed to stop with them. How she felt more at ease to let him know everything about her.

She just loved him.

Peyton walked up the stairs, Jake's guitar still filling her ears, and that smile still intact from the moment she awoke that morning. She stood in the doorway, going unnoticed by Jake as he strummed his guitar to an unfamiliar song she'd never heard of.

His husky voice was intoxicating. She couldn't get enough of it.

_The hardest part of partin__g  
Is never say goodbye  
All these "could have beens"  
Eat me up inside  
Now I can't see her face  
What hurts the most is, it's the rage  
But she used to say 'hmmm', 'hmmm'_

I'm forgetting everything  
Memories are fading in dreams  
All time this time  
Won't you wait for me?  
Let these moments last an eternity  
Your rusty follow on first down  
And a few fairy tales is all I have  
But she used to say, 'hmmm', 'hmmm'

Her mom used to sing to her.

Every night until the day she died. Peyton can still hear her voice by her bedside singing all the different songs she grew up loving. She never thought another voice could fill that void. That no one could sing her to sleep or calm her nerves like the one of her mother's.

Until now.

Jake looked up from his guitar and smiled when he saw Peyton in the doorway.

Damn his girl was hot in his shirt.

"What?" He asked when Peyton showed no sign of moving. She still stood in the doorway with a smile, just enjoying watching Jake play. It's what he deserved to be doing. It's what he's always wanted to do. "What?" Jake asked again.

"Have you heard from the label?"

Jake sighed, setting down his guitar and getting up to walk over to her. "No."

"Maybe you should call them."

"No." He shook his head.

"Jake…"

"No, Peyton, no." Jake stopped her. "If they want me that bad then they'll call. I'm not gonna be on a label that doesn't want me."

"They don't want you because you didn't get on that plane!" She said knowing he was going to take that a completely different way. She sighed running her fingers through her hair quickly. "I didn't mean that."

"I know." He whispered.

"It's just…Jake this is your dream and you gave it all up for…me."

"And why do you make it sound like that?" He asked incredulous. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she think she wasn't good enough to be with him? It was the other way around.

"Because…because I'm just some high school student trying to pass AP English and you're…not."

"You think I care about that?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "I don't. I don't care about any of that. I_ love_ you Peyton." He grabbed her arms looking her straight in the eyes. "Now I'm going to play music. Whether it's front of a million people or three people. I'm going to do it and you want to know why?"

"Because you love music." She said.

"That…and I know that you'll always be out there in the audience cheering me on." He smiled and so did she. "I love you Peyton and I'm not gonna do something that's gonna take me away from you. Not anymore."

"I just don't want you to sit around her feeling like you've got nothing to do when you could be touring and living_ the_ life."

He chuckled at her. He used to think it was the life. "You think I don't do anything while you're at school all day? Peyton, I've been writing songs all day. I've been to the studio recording. I've done a lot of things you have no idea about."

"You have?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I just haven't let you hear any of them because…" He trailed, his face blushing.

"Because?"

"Because a lot of those songs are about you."

It was her face that blushed. No one had ever written a song about her before. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "I could come out with another album just about you if I wanted to."

"Do you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. His chin landed on the top of her head so he could smell the coconut shampoo he loves so much. "I don't want anyone else to fall in love with you Peyton. I want you all to myself. Even if they are just lyrics to a song." They both knew they weren't just lyrics.

Jake led her back over to the bed and the two laid down, his arms still wrapped around her, not daring to let go. Again, she snuggled next to him as close as she could and his hand landed down by her thigh.

"Jake?" Peyton said moments later when silence took over them.

"Hmm?"

"I don't want you to give up your dream just for me, okay? I couldn't live with myself if you did that. So promise me, okay? Promise me you won't give up on it."

"I promise."

He knew he'd never break a promise with this girl he's fallen in love with. He'd never dare to and never intended to. All he had to do was call Dave and work things out and tell him the things he was and wasn't going to do. Being away from Peyton was one of those things he couldn't do. That label and Dave have been good to him. They wouldn't just drop him like that.

Could they?


	11. Something's in the Way

Sorry for the late update, but I've been busy writing other things. I managed to write for the other chapters and I even pulled out two oneshots. But here you go. The next chapter might come Monday if you're lucky.

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**Chapter Eleven: Something's in the Way**

_It's not the first time I've fallen but it's the first time it feels so real_

Meeting Peyton's father was something Jake hadn't expected. It was like Larry popped up out of nowhere when he and Peyton returned home one day. Jake had wanted to meet the man, but he never expected the meeting to be a surprise, he'd wanted a warning.

Jake sat in the living room with the man, Peyton by his side, and his hands sweating. Larry had a stern look on his face and when he broke out into a laugh it was something Jake never expected. Both father and daughter shared a laughed and Jake just sat there wondering who the hell this man was.

He went along with their little charade and faked a laugh. Larry, very seriously, told him that he seemed like a good guy and to take care of his little girl. Jake nodded and said that he never planned on letting go of her.

And he didn't.

He wanted the best for Peyton. But he did tease her about how she could do better than him. She'd laugh and roll her eyes, but there was always a hint of seriousness in his voice.

They were laying bed one Saturday afternoon, Larry had left that morning for another job, and so it was really the first time Jake could 'spend' the night. Peyton loved her dad, but she really wanted to spend some alone time with Jake. They were giggling over something Jake had said when her phone started buzzing she reached and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Peyton, what's up?" Haley asked.

"Oh, not much. With Jake." Peyton said, trying hard not to laugh from Jake's hand running up and down her back.

"Oh."

"Why?" She asked, hearing the disappointment in her friend's voice.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hangout today. Nathan's going to the Rivercourt and I just figured me, you, and Brooke could go shopping or something."

"Haley, can you hold on for a second?"

"Sure."

Peyton tucked the phone away from her ear before rolling over to meet Jake. "What's up?" He asked with that seductive smile on his face.

"Haley wants to hangout today." She simply answered.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Just me, her, and Brooke." She clarified.

"Okay."

"Are you okay with that? I mean, I don't want to just leave you."

"Peyton," He kinked his brow in that way she loved. "I'm not a little kid. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself. I'll go down to the Rivercourt and hangout with Nate." He said knowing the guy was always there.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Hangout with your friends."

Peyton smiled before pecking her lips to his and going back to her call with Haley telling her where to meet and when they should get together.

The two girls hung up and Peyton only had an hour to shower and get dressed before she had to meet Haley and Brooke.

As she was bathing Jake got dressed, not taking as long as Peyton, and searched through her room. It came as a surprised, though it probably shouldn't have, when he found a letter from a record label offering an internship.

"Hey." Peyton said walking back into her room in nothing but a towel, with her hair already styled for that day. That kind of thing should have stopped his heart, but the letter on her desk was what was keeping his mind preoccupied.

"Hey." He said looking to her and then back down to the paper. "Peyton, what…what is this?" He said showing her the paper.

She looked at it for a brief second before walking over to her closet. "It's a letter from Sire Records." She said casually searching through her clothes.

"Offering an internship." He said. She could hear it in his voice that he didn't like this.

"Yup." She said casually. "Jake, I never filled it out or sent it. I doubt I even will."

"Yeah, but…"

"Jake, we're gonna be late." She interrupted him, throwing on a simple tee shirt and a pair of jeans. He loved how she could look good in anything. "Can we just leave?" She said grabbing her flip flops staring at him, begging for him not to push it any further.

He wasn't sure if this was something she wanted to do or not. And he definitely wasn't sure if he wanted her to do it or not.

**

"So, Haley, have you told Nate yet?" Peyton asked while shuffling through some clothes in some store in the mall. Peyton nodded to Haley's yet-to-be pregnant belly with a smirk.

"Yes." She said casually.

"And?" Peyton asked stopping what she was doing and focusing her attention on her friend.

"And…he's excited. I mean, he freaked out at first. He ran out of the house and later we talked. But we both know we're going to be okay."

"That's great, Hales." Peyton smiled reaching over and slightly touching her friend's arm for support. The two went back to the clothes and joking around.

"Oh, and I told Brooke and now she doesn't let me live it down." They two laughed. "I now have a new nickname."

"What?"

"Peyton! Pregnant-Girl! I need you!" Brooke yelled from the dressing room.

"That." Haley laughed dragging a hysterical Peyton with her.

**

Jake went to the Rivercourt for some 'male bonding' with Nathan. The two played some one on one and just talked. It was nice to just hangout with a guy. Not that Jake didn't like hanging out with Peyton all the time, but sometimes you just need a guy around.

"So Jake, where've you been man?" Nathan asks shooting an easy free throw. Jake grabbed the rebound and passed it back.

"With Peyton." He answers simply.

"She's got you on a short leash, doesn't she?" Nathan teases. Though he knows he really shouldn't be teasing. He's the same way with Haley.

"Hey, don't make fun. That's my girl." He smiles proudly because it's so true. He's so in love with this girl it's hard to imagine a life without her. Nathan sees that and he's honestly happy for the both of them.

"Did you hear about Haley? She's pregnant." Nathan smiles.

"Yeah I know." Jake watches Nathan's face change and he can't help but chuckle. "Haley told Peyton at that dance and she told me. Sorry you had to be the last one to find out. How'd your dad take it?" He asks knowing that that relationship is probably worse than his own relationship with his own father.

"Not well. He's still steaming pissed. But I don't care." He shrugged. "Haley and I are going to be fine." He says shooting the ball and watching it as it floated in. "So what have you been up to lately? You know, besides having sex with Peyton."

Jake chuckled, his cheeks turning red. "I met her dad. Yeah, he was cool."

"Oh, I remember the first time I met Larry. He doesn't like me very much." He laughed at the memory of when Larry walked in on him and Peyton making out in her bedroom.

"So I heard." Nathan shoots him that confused look again. "Larry told me. And I've been recording a lot lately."

"Really?" Nathan asks somewhat shocked by that fact. Jake nods and sends him a questioning look. "It's just, you know, Peyton told me about the whole record label thing. I thought they dropped you."

"Actually they've been kind of avoiding me. My manager told me that if I don't get on the plane and get back on the tour then that was it. I haven't heard from them since."

"So you're pretty much out of a job?" Nathan asks receiving a nod from Jake. "What are you going to do?"

He shakes his head. That's the question he's been asking himself for awhile now. But he looks into Peyton's eyes or sees her smile and he remembers why it was all worth it. "Right now, I'm just playing music and loving Peyton. If I never play in front of millions ever again, I'll be OK with that."

"Will you?" Nathan asks in a tone Jake wasn't sure was questioning or not and that got him thinking.

He loves Peyton. He's in love with her. And he would do anything for her. But he also loves music and playing music. It was his escape, his out from this world that sometimes got too much for him. If he never played again would he be OK with that? His mind is telling him no, but his heart is screaming something else. He loves Peyton. And she became that out for him over time. He doesn't regret giving it up. But God does he miss it.

Jake opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by Nathan. "Hey, Luke." Jake glances over his shoulder and sure enough there's Lucas standing there.

--

"Peyton, can I talk to you?"

Peyton looks up from the rack of clothes to Brooke and the smile she wore faded when she saw the frightened expression her best friend wore. They've been at the mall all day and she's not sure why all of sudden Brooke has this total mood change, but it's kind of scaring her.

"Yeah." She looks over to see if Haley's fine before leading Brooke outside the store and over to a nearby bench. "You OK?"

"Yeah. Well, no. I don't know." Brooke stammers.

"Brooke, what's going on?"

"I got to tell you something." Brooke said quietly, something that didn't ease Peyton's nerves. Brooke sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You remember that day that Luke came and told you that he still wanted to be with you?" Peyton nods. "Well afterwards I saw him at the Rivercourt and we got to talking and I told him that it was over between you two and then…and then he kissed me."

Brooke looked up from her shaky hands and into Peyton's eyes. It's something that's been eating her up for awhile now and she can't just leave it. This was her best friend's boyfriend. And she knows what it feels like to be betrayed like that.

"Okay."

"Okay?" She repeats. "You can't just say okay, it's not okay. I kissed your boyfriend. You should…you should slap me or yell at me or call me a bitch or…"

"Brooke." Peyton stopped with a humorous smile. "Lucas is my ex boyfriend. It's OK if you want to date him or whatever. I'm not gonna stand in the way of that."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Peyton nods. "I know Lucas used to have a thing for you and I know that we both ruined that, but give him a chance."

"I told him that I didn't want to be the rebound girl." She said with a small smile. Peyton just laughed. "He told me to come find him when I'm ready to be something with him."

"Well then what are you doing here?" Peyton asked placing her hand on Brooke's hand. "Look, I know it's totally unnecessary and you don't really need it, but if it will make you feel better, I am perfectly fine with you dating Lucas."

"Thanks, Peyton."

"When are you gonna talk to him?"

"I don't know."

--

"Jake." Lucas said taking a step forward towards Nathan.

"Lucas." He said because obviously this guy has a problem with him. Jake's never done anything to the guy. He just wouldn't leave Peyton alone and accused his relationship of being a failure. He doesn't really know Lucas, but he does know that what he and Peyton had is over.

"Can I talk to you?" He asks looking over at Nathan. "Alone?"

"I'm gonna go over there." Nathan said awkwardly pointing to no place in particular.

They both wait until Nathan's out of earshot. Lucas goes to speak but is cut off by Jake's hateful stare.

"You have nothing to say to me."

"I'm sorry." Lucas says sincerely. "I'm sorry for being a jerk. I'm sorry about what I said about your relationship with Peyton. I'm…"

"You said are relationship wouldn't work. You thought we were going to breakup."

"And I'm not going to lie, but at the time I hoped you would. But now it's obvious you guys aren't and I realized that I wasn't ever the guy for her. You are."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Lucas shrugs. He's not entirely sure. He just felt like he owed it to Peyton and Jake to apologize. And maybe so he could just move on like he's wanted to.

"I just want to move on. You and Peyton are really great together. I hope she makes you really happy."

"She does." Jake nods. "You really hurt her, man." He says. He's not sure why he brings it up. He just wants Lucas to know what she went through after what he did.

"I know and I feel bad for it. But she's not the only person I've ever hurt because of my stupidity." He says thinking of Brooke in that moment. "You bring out the best in Peyton and I'm happy that she's happy. I just…I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry."

"Well thanks."

"Thanks for not beating my ass that night either." Lucas says smiling as does Jake.

"No problem." He says thinking maybe Lucas isn't that bad of a guy after all.

--

After Jake received a text from Peyton he ran straight home. But not without receiving some teasing about him being whipped from Nathan. He didn't really care though. He was going to go see Peyton. That's all that really mattered to him.

He walked into her house without knocking because he never did. He thinks he's only done that once. This place feels more like his home then his actual home. Living on the road doesn't give you that sense of home. He's glad this place, with her in it, does.

He climbs the stairs because he automatically knows she's in her room. He can hear the music and he's doesn't think she's ever been anywhere else in this house besides the kitchen.

"Hey, baby." He says walking into her bedroom and over to her to kiss her. He's been dying to do that all day. That chill that runs down his spine comes every time he kisses her and it just puts him over the edge. He's not sure which one it was to let out that soft, quiet moan but they both find it incredibly sexy.

"How was your day?" She asks when she pulls away. He's still has his arms wrapped around her and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"It was good. I talked to Lucas."

"Should I call the police?" She asks playfully.

"No. He apologized actually. You know, he seems like a pretty good guy."

"He is." She says looking up at him with this big smile he's never seen her wear. And he loves it all the same. He loves everything about this girl.

"What about you? How was your day?"

"It was fun. I talked to Brooke." She says turning away from him to clean up the art supplies that she managed to get everywhere. "She told me she wants to be with Lucas."

"Hmm."

"You think they're good together?"

"I think they could be." Jake says.

She makes a move heading to her bathroom, but he grabs her wrist and spins her back around and into his arms. "Hey, you know I missed you today, right?"

"Of course. I missed you too."

"Good." He chuckles. "I love you, Peyton."

"I love you too."

--

"You think this is becoming a regular thing with us?" Brooke asks playfully walking onto the Rivercourt. She's seen him here when she needs him most and every time he surprises her in a completely different, yet exciting, way.

"I hope not." He says looking up at her with a smile on his face. She takes a seat next to him on that old picnic table beside him. "What are you doing here?"

"Peyton and I hung out today. I told her about us." She says ignoring his question.

"So there's an 'us' now?" He asks with a hopeful smile on his face.

She looks over to him and he's wearing that grey hoodie he always wears with a boyish grin and she thinks it's that grin and that expression that had her falling head over heels for this boy in the first place. And she knows he hurt her last time and she feels like she can forgive him for all that. It might seem crazy, but this guy sitting in front of her might be everything she needs.

She nods. "I guess so."

Without hesitation, he leans over and kisses her.

She kisses back this time.

--

He's lying in bed with her wrapped up in his arms like she always is and everything feels completely content with them and with everything. He's got his girl in his arms and it's everything he wants.

He can hear his phone begin to buzz in his jeans and he almost doesn't want to leave the bed to get it. But groggily he manages.

"Hello?"

"Jake, its Dave."


	12. Tell Me

This is very, very short. It's basically a filler. My mind has pretty much shut down lately so next chapter will hopefully be Friday.

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**Chapter Twelve: Tell Me**

_Tell me about staying high cause I ain't coming down/Cause I want to see everything/I want to see me/I want to see we_

He's been acting weird all day. He barely looks her in the eye and he's quieter than usual. She woke up the next morning to see Jake sitting on the edge of the bed with a blank expression on while clutching his phone. When she says something to him he just blinks a few times and mumbles about getting a shower.

She thinks his sudden change is all because of that internship form he found yesterday. She thinks he thinks she's leaving.

It's not.

_He's lying in bed with her wrapped up in his arms like she always is and everything feels completely content with them and with everything. He's got his girl in his arms and it's everything he wants._

_He can hear his phone buzzing in his jeans and he almost doesn't want to leave the bed to get it. But groggily he manages._

"_Hello?"_

"_Jake, its Dave."_

He's not acting weird. He's just been…shell shocked. Just because he's acting different and not talking much and maybe he's been a bit irritable. OK, maybe he is being weird.

But his life is being pulled back and forth. One minute he thinks having Peyton in his arm is all he needs for the rest of his life. And then his career comes knocking and his mind has been in a tailspin all day long.

It's simple decision if you say it like this.

Music or Peyton.

What makes it hard is if you say it like this.

Music: the reason why he's here. The reason why he's been working so hard since he was a kid. His escape. His love. His belief in things. Peyton: His love. The reason he gets up in the morning. The girl he wants to spend the rest of his. The girl he wants to marry and have children with. The reason he smiles so wide. And lately, the reason why he's writing such beautiful songs.

That makes it difficult.

He didn't want to come here. Peyton suggested it. He didn't want to be reminded of their first date, not because it wasn't a great date, but because it makes his decision even harder. If he picks one there's no more of the other.

And he doesn't want there to be a decision. He doesn't want a Dave and a snotty record label. He wants peace and happiness and music and Peyton. But he can't have it. It's always been one or the other in his life.

College or no money. His dreams or his father's approval. His happiness or his misery. Hard work or comfort. Music or Peyton.

It always seems to come back to that particular one.

He's sulking. He'll admit it and he really doesn't care if it makes Peyton worry. He's picking at a salad he's not really sure why he ordered and he's trying with everything in him to keep his eyes away from her because he just can't look her in the eye just yet.

"Jake?" Peyton tried to lure her boyfriend out of his silent trance. He's been acting weird since he met her father. She knew it wasn't because of her dad. Larry had been nice and totally the opposite of what Peyton thought he would be like. And she just knew it wasn't because of that internship. No, this was something else that was distracting him.

"You okay?" She asked when he looked up to meet her green eyes. He nodded, still not convincing her. "You seem…distant."

"I'm fine." He said staring back down at his food.

"Jake." Peyton arched her brow almost pleadingly.

He sighed placing his fork down and grabbing one of Peyton's hands before staring up at her again. "I need to tell you something." He says overcoming that lump in his throat. Her body stiffens and he can feel her hands begin to shake under his grasp. He looked down again, not wanting to see this fear he brought to her eyes.

She knew it had to be bad. The tone of his voice and the distance just told her.

"I got a call from Dave." He said quietly, only loud enough for her to hear.

"_Hello?"_

"_Jake, its Dave."_

_Jake looks back to his phone to make sure he heard right. He did. He looked over his shoulder to see if Peyton was still sleeping before walking out of the room and down the hall._

"_Dave? What are you doing calling me?" _

"_You never got on the plane." Dave said flatly referring back to when Jake and Peyton got into that fight and he decided to stay here with her. Back when his career was still in reach._

"_No I didn't." He returned in the same tone. "You never answered why you're calling."_

"_Jake, we've been friends for a long time and I've helped you from the beginning, but when you let me down I wasn't sure you were the guy I thought you were."_

"_You're right Dave; I'm not the guy you thought I was. And I'm sorry I bailed on you, but this girl I stayed for is everything to me."_

"_Do you love her?"_

"_Yes." He answered without even thinking. He didn't have to. _

"_Does she want you to be the best person you can be?"_

"_Yeah."_

_There was a pause and for a second Jake thought he hung up, but he can still hear a slight sigh on the other end of the phone and that made Jake nervous._

"_I got a tour lined up with one of the other artist…and I want you to join it."_

"_Dave…" Jake started shaking his head._

"_Jake, I understand. But if this girl loves you back the way you say she does then she'll want you to do this. You got to do this Jake. Now I've managed to keep you on this label even though everyone is pissed around here because of what you did. I put my ass on the line for you. If you don't join this tour that's money down the drain and that's definitely it for you." _

"_Jake, I know you love this girl. I need an answer by Thursday." And the line went dead._

"He says he has a tour lined up with one of the label's other bands. He wants me to join it." Jake says finally looking back up at her.

He caught a slight smile on her lips before it disappeared. "Jake…" She said shaking her head. "That's great."

"No, it's not actually." He said staring down at his food that he's sure isn't going to be eaten tonight.

"Jake, that's what you want, right?"

"Yeah." He nods.

"So what happens now?"

"I don't know." He shakes his head, just letting it all sink in. "I don't want to go, Peyton."

"What happens if you don't?"

"Then they will drop me. And that will be it." He says searching her eyes for some sort of answer to all his problems. He has no idea what he wants to do. He needs Peyton to decide for him. "I have to go, but I don't want to leave you." He admits silently.

"You have to go." She says repeating his earlier words.

"What?" He asks looking back up at her.

"You have to go, Jake. You promised you wouldn't give up on your dream. This is your dream and you have to go."

"No." Jake shakes his head angrily. It's not her fault why he's growing angry. But he wants her to say don't go. He doesn't want to leave her. He loves her and wants to be with her. "No, okay, no. I'm not leaving you. We're not going to do this again." He states it like he means it and like he's thought it through, but he hasn't and he doesn't.

"Jake…" She whispers. "It's okay. We'll be okay. You have to do this." It's her holding his hand now, trying to find anyway to comfort him. She knows this might be the worst timing for this. But she knows he loves it and she would never take that away from him.

"You promise?" He asks desperately.

She nods. "Yeah I do."

They leave after that, neither one hungry anymore. He's still gloomy and she understands. She takes his hand and squeezes it tight when she sees him thinking too much and he'll look up at her and smile.

She starts talking about random things because they both know she's trying to distract him from this thing that could possibly ruin them…again..

But soon they're back at her place and she's in bed next to him like always already asleep. Tomorrow she's going to school and he'll probably be moping around her house and in the past he would have been perfectly fine with that. But now it's different.

Now, there's music involved. And his life. And his career. And Peyton's involved. She's this high school kid that took his heart and sewed it together with hers. He fell in love with her when he wasn't supposed to. He wouldn't take it back for the world, but he knows things would be a lot easier if the two had never met.

He'd still have his music and his tour and his label. But there wouldn't be love and Peyton and the excitement of always waking up the next morning and knowing she's right there. He knows there's that promise and he's thinking maybe things can be different with this tour.

He's just hoping that promise won't be broken.


	13. Brazil

Sorry for the delay. Exams got hard and then I had to go get my license =)

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**Chapter Thirteen: Brazil**

_I don't know how/I don't know why_

It's hard looking at him now. In his eyes all she sees is a timer showcasing how much time they have left. She sees his smile and it seems fake to her. She knows he's not trying to make her sad, but he is.

She doesn't want him there. She wants him here. She wants to marry him one day and have his children. She wants to wake up every morning and have him be right there. She just doesn't understand why they can't have that.

She understands he has his music. She knows it's an important part in his life and never would she try to tear that away from him. But she just wants him.

No touring or recording or late night sessions. She wants to be in his arms.

Neither seems happy about him leaving, but he has to go, so she puts on this brave face and tells him that they can do this. But she doesn't know if they can. Yes, they're in love, but when has love ever been able to conquer all? And it's really not as different as last time.

She's been avoiding him for a few days now. It's not bright or a smart thing to do since he's leaving tomorrow, but she just can't see him. He calls and she ignores it. He comes over and she makes up an excuse to leave. She knows he knows what she's doing.

His voice is almost desperate over the phone and it's breaking her heart, but she deletes the voicemail anyway.

"Peyton?" She turns around to see Brooke in the doorway with a worried expression. She has every right to be. Peyton's a mess. She's trying to hide tears and her hair is everywhere. She just doesn't seem to care anymore. "What's going on, P. Sawyer?" Brooke asks walking across the room and enveloping her in a hug because she just knows her friends is torn.

"Nothing." She says wiping away the tears from her red, puffy face. "I'm fine."

"Peyton…" Brooke shakes her head. "Is it Jake?" She asks because most of her friend's problems involve the rockstar. Peyton just sniffles and nods her. "You can tell me, Peyton."

"Jake…Jake got an offer to join this tour. He's leaving tomorrow, Brooke." She says innocently.

"Oh, Peyton, I'm sorry." Brooke says because she knows even though it's a great opportunity it means these two love birds can't be together.

"Me too." She nods.

"Where is he?" Brooke asks looking around the red bedroom for him.

"I've been kind of avoiding him." She says shamefully and cowering away.

"Peyton, how can you be avoiding him when he's leaving tomorrow?"

"Because it just hurts! When I look at him I just…I just see him leaving. And I don't want him to. I don't want it to be one or the other with us anymore."

"Have you told him that?"

"I'm pretty sure he knows." She nods taking a seat on the bed as Brooke follows. Brooke's ready to respond before Peyton beats her to it. "Brooke, it's hard…and I don't want it to be hard anymore. He's gone and I just feel empty without him. I just want to be with him and it feels like we can never have just that."

"I know." Brooke nods. "But you guys love each other. Peyton, Jake is a great guy and he's perfect for you, but you got to tell him this. Otherwise things really will get hard."

"Yeah." She whispers softly wondering just how she's going to tell him.

--

"Hey." Jake knocks on her door late at night. He saw the light on and knew she was awake. Making his way through her front door and climbing the stairs his stomach dropped along the way. He knew this was taking a big toll on her. She has been avoiding him for the past few days. Canceling dates and rushing off the phone whenever he called. He knew she wouldn't like this and he knows it's all an act when she says she's fine.

He hates that she hates this.

Peyton looked over to him and didn't try to hide the sad expression she'd been wearing these past few days. "Hi." She said going back to her album collection to distract herself from him. She wasn't going to cry. Not in front of him.

"Are you done avoiding me yet?" He asked walking further into the room and sitting down on her bed.

"I'm not avoiding you." She threw over shoulder, not bothering to make eye contact with him.

"Don't lie to me Peyton. I know you hate this and I need you to talk to me."

She turned around to face him. His brown eyes bored into her green. Her knees were buckling and she was trying really hard not to cry. "Fine. I hate this." She shrugged. He moved to get up, but she stopped him by raising her hand in the air.

"I don't get it, Peyton. You told me you were fine with this."

"I thought I was." She shrugged. "But then I started thinking…it's always been music or me, Jake. We can't ever have both and I just feel like we're back at square one again. And I know I said we would be okay, but I don't know. We couldn't do it the first time what makes us think we could do it now?"

"Hey." Jake said quickly standing from the bed and wrapping his arms around her. "That's not gonna happen again. Because last time we were just a boy and a girl. Now we're in love and I love you and I'm never gonna stop. And, besides, we got through it last time. We can do it again."

Tears formed in her eyes and Jake took his thumb to rid them away. Her whimpers were becoming louder and she's never actually cried over a guy before. "It's hard."

"I know." He whispered, his hot breath hitting her hard. "Peyton, there's no reason why it can't be like you said."

"But you don't even know when you're gonna come back and…"

"Shh." He silenced her leading her over to the bed. He set her down before getting in beside her and, again, wrapping his arms around her. He let her cry and neither said a word. They just laid there with tears harboring in each other's eyes.

Soon he could feel her breathing even and he glanced over her shoulder to see her eyes closed. He tightened his grip around her and tried to do the same.

But his sleep came a bit harder.

**

The movement under his arms was what woke him up. It was late, midnight maybe, when he felt Peyton waking up again. He could see her tearstained face as the moon shined threw the window. His heart broke even more.

"It's late." Was all she could say. He could feel her trying to distance herself from him.

He just gripped tighter. "Don't do that." He said firmly. "Don't push me away."

"I'm not…"

"Peyton." He warned.

"I'm sorry." She could barely make audibly, but he still caught it. She eased herself back into him with him running his finger along her back like he knew she liked.

After a while he knew she had calmed down more. "What's on your mind, Peyton?" He asked, his arm falling on her torso.

"Me?" He could feel her smirk for what might be the first time in a few days. "I'm all over the place." She sighed. "I don't know it's just…like you know that feeling you get on a Sunday?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Where you just had the whole day to yourself and it's been great, and then you remember you have to go to school the next day and it ruins the rest of your night." She glanced up at him with sad eyes and there had to be someway he could get rid of that look.

"You're leaving tomorrow." She continued. "And I got that feeling. It's like a Sunday night."

He nodded thinking back to all those 'Sunday night' moments they'd had. They'd had a lot. "You know, somebody once told me that every song ends, but that's no reason not to enjoy the music." He smirked at her seeing the one she was wearing to. He remembered.

"Ellie told me that." She whispered.

"Well she was right. Tomorrow's gonna hurt like hell, we both know that, but we're both here right now."

She rolled onto her side, facing him and grabbing his hand and her fingers through his hair with the other. "But I don't want _right now_ with you. I want _forever_."

He frowned, escaping her eyes because it just hurt too much to look at her. He loves her, he wants to be with her, but she's here, in high school, and he wants her with him. He has to leave. Maybe she doesn't have to stay.

"Come with me." He blurted out. He watched as her face changed and he thinks maybe he just made a mistake.

"What?" She says sitting up in the bed, pulling the blanket along with her. Jake sits up too and grabs hold of her.

"Come with me." He repeated.

"Jake…"

"Come on, Peyton. You don't want to leave me – I don't want to leave you." He says with a smile too big for his face. "If you come with me we can see the world together. Just think about it. I'm going to Europe, Peyton; I know how much you'd love to travel Europe."

"Jake, just stop!" She sighs, running her fingers through her hair, trying to process this whole thing through her mind. "I, I can't."

"Why not? You just said you wanted forever."

"I do, but, but I have school."

"Peyton in a few months you'll be done. I'll get you a plane ticket and you can meet me or…or home school."

"My dad."

"Peyton…" His smile fades and he sees that she's really trying to come up with a good excuse on why not to come. "Your dad's never home." She opens her mouth for another excuse, but he already knows. "In a few months you'll be in college and you won't see your friends anymore." Her mouth closes again and his demeanor breaks along with his heart. "Peyton…tell me you want to go."

"I, I don't know." She shakes her head. "I mean…this is big Jake. I mean, what happened to 'we're in love this time and we can do this'?"

"You don't even believe that!" He yelled causing her to jump. Jake climbed out of the bed, feeling the need to be away from her. "What about everything you just said? Don't you want to be with me?" He whispered and she swore it could have came out as a whimper.

Her face changes and suddenly she's angry. "Of course I do! And everything I just said, Jake, I meant it and I still do, but this is ridiculous. Why would you even ask if I wanted to be with you or not?"

"Because it looks like you're trying to find an excuse to not come with me." He says sitting on the edge of the bed.

She shakes her head, not sure of what to do. "Jake…I can't just leave with you. I have to graduate and I have my friends and I have to go to college and…"

"And you don't want to come." He finished for her.

"I never said that."

"But you're implying it."

"Jake…" She moved closer to him. It was him that pulled away this time. It was clear that this was killing him. It was like she crushed a little boy's dream. "I love you." She said looking him straight in the eye. "I'm in love with you…and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…but, but this is crazy."

"Crazy?" He questioned pushing her away and standing from the bed again. "What's crazy is that my girlfriend doesn't want to be with me."

"I never said that."

"Peyton…" He sighed, looking away form her. He doesn't want to argue. He wants an answer. "I want a yes or no answer." He moved down to her level and looked at her green eyes. "Do you want to come with me?"

Her throat clogged up and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. She tore away from his eyes to the ceiling. "I don't know." Her voice cracked and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Okay." He nodded, walking to the doorway. He turned back and stared at her. "I'm leaving tomorrow night on a bus to New York. If you don't show I'll have my answer."

He turned away from her and ignored her cries for him.


	14. You Can Run

Just to let you guys know, the next chapter wil be the last. So I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter Fourteen: You Can Run**

_You can run/You can run/But you can't hide_

Jake stood outside Nathan's door wondering if maybe he should knock. There's really no one else he can go to. Nathan instantly became his friend when he and Peyton got together and Jake feels as if that maybe Nathan is his only friend. Or at least one that would understand.

He doesn't feel like he's ever been this emotionally drained before. He can't help but chuckle that Peyton has him this much in a tailspin.

"Hey Jake." Nathan says opening the door, obviously surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?" Nathan opened the door wide enough to let Jake in and then closed it behind him.

"I need to talk to you."

"Alright." Nathan said motioning to the couch. The two sat down and Nathan watched as Jake fidgeted.

His hands were sweaty and it was like the temperature jumped ten degrees. He could see the grin on Nathan's face and the whole thing just felt…weird.

"It's about me and Peyton." He says wondering why in the world he started with that. Jake sighs, running his fingers through his hair, a habit that's been taking up a lot of his time these last twenty-four hours. "I got a call from my agent asking me to join this tour and I have to leave tonight."

"Oh man." Nathan sighs looking away from Jake and to another part of the room. This was bad. "That's not good."

"Yeah." Jake nods. "I asked Peyton to come with me…she said no."

"Are you serious?" He asked, his eyes widening.

"Well she said I don't know, but it basically meant no."

"Dude you're a Dumbass." Jake shoots his head towards Nathan after the last comment. He's ready to defend himself before Nathan stops him. "Save it. I've been through that whole thing to."

"What?"

"You remember Chris, right?" He asked and continued when Jake nodded. "He offered Haley a spot on this tour he was going on. When she told me about it all I did was yell and accuse and I never…listened to her."

"But she didn't go."

"Yeah." Nathan chuckled, happy that she never really did go. "But I could tell that she wanted to go."

"Well why didn't she?"

Nathan sighed, not really liking this particular moment in Naley history. "I gave her an ultimatum. I said that if she left then our marriage was over. And she didn't go."

"That sucks…on Haley's part, I mean."

"Yeah." He whispered staring down at the floor. "But I was just so angry because I didn't like Chris and I didn't want her to be alone with him and she didn't ask me to come. Later on I said I was sorry and told her to go join the tour. She didn't."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He said, not really knowing why she didn't go, but sure as hell happy that she didn't leave him. "But I realized that I wasn't the only one that had dreams to fulfill. That Haley wasn't going to be just a housewife. And I felt like an ass for being so selfish with her dreams and with mine."

"I asked Peyton to come with me and she said no." Jake repeated.

"She said I don't know and I bet you told her that if she didn't go then it was over." Nathan said giving a knowing grin when he saw that shameful look on Jake's face. "Jake if there's one thing that I've learned about women it's that they're stubborn and will do pretty much the opposite of what you ask them to do."

"I don't want to leave her, but I can't back out." Jake says, his hands running down his face in frustration. "If I do then my career's over."

Nathan reached over and put his hand on Jake's back for reassurance. "You got a great girl, Jake. But Peyton's lived here her entire life. She has friends and people here that love her. And then you come along and give her this ticket out and she's just scared of something new."

Nathan gets up and heads to the kitchen for something to drink; leaving Jake on the couch replaying this conversation and the one he had last night in his head. He never thought he would have to choose between his career and a girl.

But then he never thought he'd ever fall in love with this girl.

**

His words seemed to follow her. Having that kind of ultimatum was something she didn't necessarily want.

She doesn't want there to be a choice. She just wants him. All of him. His brown eyes and boyish smirk. Him playing guitar at two in the morning before coming to bed and wrapping his arms around her. She wants his music in her life and everything else that comes with it. It seems impossible to have any of that.

She can't understand why she can't have a decent relationship. A normal one at that. With Nathan it was all about sex. With Lucas there was romance. With Jake there's romance and sex and laughter and fun and it seems to be full of problems. This one in particular.

And she's beginning to think it's not the boy's fault…but hers.

What did she do wrong to lose Nathan? What did she say to drive Lucas away?

It seems all she can do now is ask questions. She's been doing it for the last hour while walking around this tiny town. She's been looking for any imperfection of this place she's called home just so there's a reason she can leave. But she can't. She loves this town. The beach, the pier, the stores, the people, the Rivercourt. She grew up with these people and in a few months they'll all be gone. She doesn't want to leave now.

"Hey."

She finds herself at the Rivercourt. She's not sure how or why she came here, but looking at his blue eyes she's kind of glad she did.

Before Brooke and that stupid love triangle, she considered Lucas one of her best friends. They hadn't known each other long, but he always just seemed to be there. He knew what to say and what to do and maybe for that reason she fell for this friend.

"Hey." She smiles back standing just a few feet away from him. He's wearing that red tee shirt he wore the first day they ever talked and she wonders if he knows that.

"What are you doing here?"

"Avoiding major decisions." She mumbles

"Need any help?" He asks trapping the ball to his hip. "With the decisions I mean."

She shook her head, though they both know she probably could use a little of his help. She takes a few strides over to the bleachers and sat down before being joined by Lucas. "So did you and Brooke talk?" She asks just for the sake of avoiding her own problems.

"Yeah." He nods. "We're kind of…we're trying again and taking things slow." He says before realizing what he's said. "That…that doesn't bother you does it? Me and Brooke?"

"Of course. We're over, Lucas. I've come to terms with that a long time ago."

"Clearly." He chuckles before nudging her shoulder. There was a short pause as each listened to the sound of the water in this late afternoon. "So why'd you really come here, Peyton?"

She knew he wasn't going to give up that easily. "I can't…it's just my own problem that I need to figure out." She says before getting up to leave.

"Peyton." He stops her and waits for her to turn back to him. "We might be over, but we're still friends. You can still talk to me."

"It's about Jake." She says just to warn him.

"I'm here to listen."

She shoots him a small smile before walking back over to him and sitting down. She lets out a large breath before explaining everything. She leaves out few details and all of a sudden it feels like how they were before all this drama happened. Back when they were really friends. Somewhere along the way she starts crying and his arm wraps around her and he pulls her closer so her head lands on his shoulder.

"He just left." She says through her tears. "He told me that if I don't show up then it's over. What am I supposed to do with that?" She asks looking up at him.

"Peyton, you have this amazing guy that wants to be with you. If I were you I would go."

"I can't just leave, Lucas."

"Well, what's stopping you? Peyton, this is a once in a lifetime offer. In a few months we're all gonna be gone, to college, to start careers, to wherever. Where are you gonna be, Peyton?" She looks into his blue eyes and there's not that passion for her that there used to be. She knows he's moved on and so has she. And she can't understand why she's being so difficult about this. What's holding her back?

"Peyton," Lucas continues, "school and college, it's always going to be there. Is Jake?" He waits for an answer, but they both know he's not going to get one. He knows she's over thinking this and trying to find excuses to stay. "Go home and pack your bags, Peyton. Just stop thinking."

**

She went home after her little talk with Lucas. She hates to admit it, but he's right. Or at least she wants to think he is.

These red walls seem to be closing in on her. The ticking of her clock on the wall seemed to sound like bombs dropping. It's getting closer. Her decision to leave or not. Ever since she was a little girl she's always tried to find solutions for things she didn't know.

Maybe there wasn't one for this.

For a minute she thinks she's going. She pulls out her suitcase and begins to call her father and then…she stops and she goes back to thinking that she's not going anywhere. And there are too many decisions to make and she feels as if she can't do it.

Before she knows it her red walls and suitcase and her father are forgotten. She's standing in those woods her mother used to take her to - where she took Jake – and this place doesn't put her at ease like it used to. She's crying and she thinks that maybe this is her first sign of why she shouldn't go.

"_Peyton…I want a yes or no answer." He moved down to her level and looked at her green eyes. "Do you want to come with me?"_

_Her throat choked up and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. She tore away from his eyes to the ceiling. "I don't know." Her voice cracked and he gritted his teeth in frustration._

"_Okay." He nodded, walking to the doorway. He turned back and stared at her. "I'm leaving tomorrow night on a bus to New York. If you don't show I'll have my answer." _

"Peyton." She turned around to see Jake leaning against a tree in his jeans and black button down. She saw his crinkled face and knew that he's been giving the situation a lot of thought too. "You weren't home."

She nods turning back to the water, mostly to hide her tears.

"Peyton, we need to talk." He said taking a step closer to her, his arms wrapping around her like they used to. She turned in his arms and tried to push away.

"No, we don't." She said with a shaky voice. "I want to go, Jake, but I can't just leave. I have everything here. And I want to be with you, but if I can't go then I can't have you, right?"

"No." He shook his head. "I was being an ass and I wanted things to go my way and I never considered your thoughts. If you don't want to go, Peyton, it's okay."

"No, okay, it's not okay. It can't be." Her restraints on her tears were no longer a worry to her and soon they were falling where they may.

"And why not?"

"Because you're leaving Jake."

"So?"

"And what about us?" She said not looking up at him. Her hand landed on his chest and distracted herself with his buttons.

"What about us?" He said causing her to look up. He was smiling and she just knew that the past twenty-four hours had been forgotten. "Peyton, I found out today that I'm not the only one that needs to fulfill their dreams. You got things that you're meant to do, Peyton, like that internship and college and…everything. I'm not gonna hold you back from that."

"Jake, you're not doing that."

"I would be if you come with me." He sighed, only taking his eyes off her for a split second. "Peyton, I need you to know that that night I first saw you at TRIC I fell for you…I've never fallen this hard for someone. And I'm happy that it was you that I fell for. I love you." He says with a shaky voice. She doesn't say anything, but they meet in the middle. His lips hit hers and everything stopped.

They break away and they're still smiling for reasons they're not sure they should be smiling for. He's leaving tonight and she's staying and the future in their relationship seems to be written in the stars for them.

His phone starts to ring and deep down they both know who it is. He doesn't want to answer and seriously thinks about it, but Peyton tells him it's his career on the line and he laughs at the double meaning.

"It's Dave." He says although she already knew. He flips open his phone open, tearing his eyes away from Peyton, because it's killing both of them. "Hello…Yeah I'm still in Tree Hill…I'm heading to the bus station right now…" He pauses to catch a glimpse of Peyton and he can tell she's dying over this "Alright…bye."

He shuts his phone and turns back to Peyton who's facing the water again. "I got to go."

"I know." She says quietly, not bothering to look at him.

"Look Peyton…" He grabs her arm and turns her around to face her and she's crying. He wipes away the tears and gently places a kiss on her cheek. "You know…I could have held you in my arms forever, and it still wouldn't be long enough. I'm not gonna say goodbye. I'm not…because…I'm gonna come back to you someday, Peyton. It might not be tomorrow or next week or next month, but I swear to you that I'm gonna come back to you."

"Someday." She confirmed.

He nodded. "You believe that. And then we can be together." He pauses, watching her, waiting for something to happen. "So just…say something. Please."

"I love you." She blurts out.

He smiles because those three words always make him do that. They seem to solve everything. "I love you too."

She kisses him not because he's leaving or the fact that it's someday, but because she loves him and he's here now and she's not sure when he'll be back to do it again. His phone beeps again and they both it's no longer just a warning for him to leave. He really has to go now.

Jake breaks away from her, gripping her arms, staring her down. "I need you to believe me, OK? I need you to believe in someday."

She nods. "Someday."

He kisses her one last time before taking just one last look at her. And then he's gone.

"Someday." She whispers, not so he can hear, but so she can believe it.


	15. Someday

**Chapter Fifteen: Someday**

_I'll come back to you someday_

--

_She kisses him not because he's leaving or the fact that it's someday, but because she loves him and he's here now and she's not sure when he'll be back to do it again. His phone beeps again and they both it's no longer just a warning for him to leave. He really has to go now._

_Jake breaks away from her, gripping her arms, staring her down. "I need you to believe me, OK? I need you to believe in someday."_

_She nods. "Someday."_

_He kisses her one last time before taking just one last look at her. And then he's gone._

"_Someday." She whispers, not so he can hear, but so she can believe it. _

She's twenty-four and is more successful than she ever planned to be in life. She owns a small record label, nothing big, but big enough for her. She has these artists that create music because they love the meaning, not the money.

She went to L.A. after high school for that internship. It didn't take long for her to realize how much she hated it. There, it was about money and not meaning and she wasn't ready to give up what she believed in for a job. She finished up her summer internship before packing up her things and going back home.

She went to Duke with Nathan and Haley and found herself as a business major. The three friends shared a house together as the married couple took care of their baby boy, James Lucas Scott. Peyton fell in love with that little kid the moment he entered this world and would do anything for him.

Lucas went to UNC where he majored in literature. He and Peyton kept in touch and they truly were better off as friends. And along the way he fell madly in love with Brooke.

Brooke went off to L.A. with Peyton for the summer where the two stayed with her parents. Brooke stayed when Peyton left and started up her own clothing line with the help of her mother. After a while she migrated to New York where she took her newfound business to the next level. She's done extremely well over these last few years, even after she moved back to Tree Hill to be with Lucas.

Haley welcomed her new role as a mother into her life gratefully while trying to receive a degree in teaching. And on game day, she and Jamie were right there in the stands watching Nathan lead a team he's always dreamed of playing for.

Nathan helped lead Duke to a state championship in his junior and senior year. He was named MVP and was a first round draft pick for the NBA. Luckily, he's playing for the Bobcats and keeping himself close to home.

After college, Peyton wanted to start her own label, one that wasn't filled with assholes. Karen offered the space above TRIC rent free, which Peyton declined, but Karen never took no for an answer.

After much renovating, Peyton finally had her dream.

She found Mia shortly afterwards and got her away from some talent sucking musician and encouraged her to really open up with a little help from Haley. Turned out this eighteen year old could really sing and found herself with a lot of newfound fame.

After Mia left to tour, Peyton recruited Haley back into the studio for a long anticipated album. It was a slow process, but Haley found some inspiration for another album.

There was also one more person that demanded to be on her label…

"Peyton! I'm home!"

His voice erupts through the small house. Just hearing his voice brings a smile to her face and instantly her own arms are wrapping around her torso like his will be in just seconds.

"Hey." He says when he walks into the kitchen to see her making dinner. She turns to face him and smiles back.

"Hi."

Jake strides over to her and kisses her while wrapping his arms around her. He nudges her closer to him because he hasn't seen her since morning and he's missed her.

When he left for that tour, it broke both of their hearts. He was gone for exactly eight months, three weeks, and four days. It was the hardest thing either of them had ever endured. They talked and texted every single day. They went longer than eight months without seeing each other. It got to the point where she forgot what his brown eyes looked like.

They told each other everything over the phone. He was the one she cried to when she complained about L.A. He was the one that suggested she move back to Tree Hill.

He was the one she was running to when he came home. Neither cared about the stares that were given to them in the airport when he came home. He was back with her. That' what matter.

"How was your day?" He asks watching as she went back to the food. He went to search for a pot she needed.

"Good. Haley did really well today."

"And Mia?"

"Still touring, being a rockstar. You know?" She shrugged, throwing him a smirk over her shoulder. Jake chuckled. "How about you?"

"I had a class this morning. After that, I hung around the studio."

It didn't take long for Jake to get bored once he returned. He swore off touring for a while so he could be with Peyton, but even though he was actually with her, he still found boredom.

In a roundabout way, he found himself with a job offer, a teaching job. They figured since he was a rockstar that he could also teach music. The thing was that he couldn't, or he thought he couldn't. Sooner or later he got organized and actually enjoyed it. It gave him something to do while Peyton was in class and he personally liked the whole teacher/student thing with him and Peyton.

He found a way out of his contract with his old record label, saying goodbye to Dave and promised Peyton that when she started her own label, he'd be the first to sign up.

When Jake got settled into his job, they bought a small house. Nathan and Haley practically begged them not to leave, but they all knew the couple needed their own space.

It was a two bedroom which Peyton decorated to her liking. Jake used one of the bedrooms as his office. They lived happily for three and a half years in that house. Some of their best memories were in that house.

"_Peyton! I'm home!" Jake yelled entering the quiet house. He expected to hear her voice reply back, but there was nothing. He crinkled his brow and dropped his bag by the door before making his way towards the kitchen. _

_Clearly she had heard him, for she was right there at the table, her back facing him. _

"_Hey." He said taking a step towards her._

"_Hi." She threw over shoulder before entering to her books. He could tell she was mad, he just didn't know why._

"_How was your day?"_

"_Fine. Dinner's in the microwave." It was then that he realized why she was mad. He checked his watch for the time and saw that she'd been waiting for him for the past hour. "You're late." She said turning in her seat to face him._

"_I know, but…"_

"_Jake, it's the fourth time this week. I get that you have class, but you can at least try to be on time."_

"_I know. But if I say I'm sorry will you forgive me?"_

_She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She really didn't want to fight. "Fine." She moved from her seat over to the microwave to heat up his food. He saw she didn't believe his apology and only said it was OK to avoid a fight. _

_She didn't know the real reason on why he was late. It was the thing in his pocket. _

"_You know what…I take back my apology." He said watching her stunned face turn back to him. "You don't believe it. So I'm going to do you one better and make you a promise."_

"_Jake…"_

_He took out the small box in his pocket and knelt down on one knee before opening the box to reveal a diamond ring. He smiled when a gasp left her lips._

"_A promise that no matter how many times I'm late, I'm always going to come home. A promise that I'm going to love you forever, Peyton Sawyer. It'd be an honor if you'd marry me."_

They got married a few months later when class let out for the summer. It was a small ceremony in the church Peyton's mom had been married in. Her father walked her down the aisle and shook Jake's hand. Brooke was her maid of honor with Haley as the other bridesmaid. Nathan stood behind Jake as his best man and Lucas, strangely enough, was right behind him. Karen and Keith showed up to the affair because, even though she'd never admit it, those two have been more of parents to her than her own. Peyton met Jake's parents that day for the first time and she was happy that the smile his father wore was a proud one.

After graduating, Peyton wanted to move back to Tree Hill. Jake didn't argue, he simply went out for boxes. That small town's become a big part of him and it truly is home. They found themselves in a small, cozy three bedroom house with a big backyard.

It was pretty much everything she ever wanted.

"So," She starts walking over him, "Brooke and Luke are coming over for dinner. Haley and Nathan too."

"Jamie too?" He asks kinking his brow. She can already see the boyish grin growing.

"Of course. They don't go anywhere without that little boy."

"Sweet! I'll go set up the X-box" He says about to sprint for the door, only to be pulled back. Peyton knows Jake loves that kid. She's sure he just might love him a tiny bit more than she does. And she loves that he's so good to Jamie.

"Can your little game wait till after dinner, please?"

He sighs. "Fine." She mouths a thank you before going back to her food.

--

"You know, I still can't get used to calling you P. Jagielski. It just doesn't sound right." Brooke raved while the three women sat out on the porch away from the video game inside.

"Yeah, Peyton Jagielski doesn't really sound right." Haley chimed in.

"Well, get used to it, because me and Jake are not divorcing for the sake of a name." The three chuckled. "Besides, one day I'm going to be calling you B. Scott. When are you two going to tie the knot anyway?" Both Peyton and Haley leaned forward.

"The guy's got to put a ring on my finger first." She chuckled showing Peyton her naked finger.

"Could be soon." Peyton shrugged.

"Why do you know something?" Brooke asks lunging forward to get some information.

"No." She says removing the hands from her shirt. "Brooke, that guy in there loves you. If he doesn't marry you he's an idiot."

"You guys," Haley says, "look at them." she motions towards the window to see three grown men dancing around Jamie in victory. Neither could hold their laughter.

"I swear it's like having four 7 year olds." Brooke exclaimed.

The girls went back to their conversations as Peyton kept her eyes on the men (and Jamie) inside. A smile stifled her lips when she saw Jake give Jamie a high five and then help him when his team was losing.

"Hey, Peyt. You OK?" Haley asks noticing her distance.

Peyton turns back to the group with the same smile. "I got to tell you guys something." Both Brooke and Haley leaned forward as Peyton whispered in each of their ears.

"No way!"

"Are you serious?!"

The two asked at the same time. Peyton only nodded.

"Does Jake know?" Brooke asks, still on the edge of her seat.

Peyton shakes her head. "I'm kind of scared to tell him."

"Peyton, he's going to be so happy."

"I hope so." She says turning back to the window.

--

"How're you doing man?" Nathan asks when the three men are in the kitchen each drinking a beer.

Jake smiles. "I'm doing really well." He says before taking a sip of us beer. "How about you?"

"Good. Little Jamie's growing up." He says taking a peek at his son who's still in the living room playing video games. "I swear that kid's getting smarter and smarter everyday."

"Well, he's got his uncle's genes." Lucas says smiling to himself proudly.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's where they come from." Nathan says nudging his brothers. "Speaking of families. When is either of yall going to start one? Especially you Luke."

"Why me?"

"Because Jake's already married. Now he can wait as long as he wants to have a kid. Now you have been dating Brooke since high school. Don't you think it's time to get it together?"

Luke chuckles to himself before looking back to see if anyone's near. "It's going to be soon you guys. I found the perfect ring yesterday."

"Congratulations man." Jake says walking over and shaking his hand.

"Yeah little brother." Nathan says giving him a hug. "So when's the moment?"

"I don't know. Waiting for that perfect moment I guess."

"You don't find the perfect moment, you create it." Jake says taking a sip of his beer. "I remember when I told Peyton. She was so mad at me I thought the only way to get her to shut up was to pull out the ring."

"And I told Haley when we were laying in bed right after we had…"

"Eww."

"Gross, man, that's my best friend."

"Sorry." Nathan laughed. Lucas was about to speak when Jamie called for him. The three could only smile, knowing Lucas couldn't resist that little kid. Nathan turned back to Jake as the two laughed.

"You got a great kid, Nate."

"You got a great life, Jake."

"I think we all do."

--

Eventually everyone had left, leaving Jake and Peyton to clean up the mess. Jake took the kitchen, Peyton took the living room.

Afterwards, they both went upstairs, each exhausted from the day. Peyton lay in bed while Jake was in the shower, thinking of all the things that had happened that day. And a smile graced her lips.

She really did live a great life. It wasn't perfect to most, but to her, when she was with Jake, everything was.

She was almost fast asleep when she felt the other side of the bed move. Jake pulled her closer to him so they were both in the middle of the bed. His arm wrapped around her torso with her back right against his chest.

"Jenny." He mumbled into her hair.

"What?" Peyton asked turning to face him.

"If it's a girl I want to name her Jenny." He says rubbing his hand over her flat stomach.

Peyton looks down at her stomach and then back up at him with a smile. "How did you…?"

"I know a lot more than you think." He says with that same smile she's wearing. He takes her hand and rubs his thumb along the top.

"And what if it's a boy?" She asks kinking her brow.

"It won't be." He says shaking his head. "It's definitely a girl."

"Jenny Jagielski." She says quietly catching a glimpse at her stomach. "It's perfect." She says before lying back down and having Jake wrap his arms around her like he does every night.

"Just like her mom."

* * *

I would just like to say thanks to everyone that reviewed and read the story. It was a lot of fun for me to write and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.


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